Posts Tagged ‘curry’
January 26, 2013
Click the link below to read the article in my journal about the ultimate TASTE MANTRA – How to make Food Tasty
Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: TASTY MANTRA – Definition and Meaning of TASTE.
Click the link above to read the article in my journal about the ultimate TASTE MANTRA – How to make Food Tasty
The post is also given below for your convenience:
TASTY MANTRA
The Definition and Meaning of TASTE and TASTY
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Long back I had a maid who used to cook quite well.
One day I invited some colleagues and their families (including my boss and his family) over for dinner and I decided to ask the maid to cook the food.
Apart from the usual fare of daal, rice, roti and a vegetable dish, I asked to her make chicken curry (which was her “signature dish”).
She cooked delicious chicken curry for us every Sunday and we really loved it.
At office, I often boasted about how lucky I was to get a good maid who cooked delicious food and I especially praised her chicken curry. So everyone was quite keen to taste this much hyped inimitable chicken curry.
“These guests are very special and they especially are looking forward to eating your chicken curry,” I told the maid, “so make it tasty. Please make the chicken curry really tasty.”
Now I did not know one thing – the definition of “taste” and “tasty” in my maid’s dictionary.
As far as my maid was concerned, “taste” meant rich (oily) and spicy and making food “tasty” meant adding plenty of oil and lots of chilly powder.
So when she cooked the chicken curry she made sure that she added generous amounts of oil and chilly powder. In fact, she had prepared the dish in copious amounts of oil and “richly” spiced (especially chilly powder).
The guests arrived.
Everyone was eagerly waiting in anticipation for the chicken curry.
The dish arrived and it looked very appealing and mouthwatering – yes, the chicken curry looked sumptuous, succulent pieces of chicken floating in rich opulent gravy.
The moment we started eating the chicken curry our tongues were instantly on fire.
Yes, our tongues, our mouths, our whole insides were blazing and we all broke out into a sweat.
Never before had we ever tasted something so hot and fiery.
The rich greasy gravy further added to the pungency and the “kick.
Everyone kept drinking glass after glass of water to cool down their insides which had been set on fire by the red-hot chicken curry.
Had it not been for the “bland” vegetable dish and daal, which saved the day, the meal would have been a complete unmitigated disaster.
Next morning, surveying the leftovers, our maid was surprised to see that that there was plenty of chicken curry left over in the fridge, whereas the daal and vegetables were wiped out clean.
This was exactly the opposite of what she had expected.
I told her what had happened and asked her: “why did you put so much oil and chillies in the chicken curry?”
She said, “but you told me to make the chicken curry tasty. And how can a dish be tasty unless it is rich and spicy?”
“But what about the vegetables and daal – they were quite okay,” I said.
“You didn’t tell me to make the vegetables and daal tasty, so I made them normal,” she said.
‘Okay,’ I said, ‘from now on make everything “normal”. Please don’t make anything “tasty”.’
Epilogue
A few days ago I ordered Biryani at a local restaurant in Wakad near Pune.
Now, to the best of my knowledge and experience, Biryani is supposed to be mildly spiced.
But the Biryani served to me was so highly spiced, terribly red-hot and greasy that for me it was impossible for me to eat.
So I called the manager and told him not to make the Biryani so spicy and greasy and that he should tell the cook to put less oil and chilly powder in the Biryani.
Do you know what he said?
He said: “Sir, how can food be tasty unless you put oil and chillies? And most customers like “tasty” food.”
I instantly remembered the words of my erstwhile maid.
Well, they were the culinary “experts” and maybe I am out of sync.
Now I know the meaning and definition of the terms “taste” and “tasty”:
“Taste” means rich (oily) and spicy and making food “tasty” means adding plenty of oil and lots of chilly powder.
HAPPY EATING (and Happy Cooking)
May you always enjoy “Tasty” Food
VIKRAM KARVE
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse – his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Posted in art of eating, blog, cuisine, curry, eating, food, Food and drink, food blog, good food, health, Health and wellness, humor, india, indian, karve, pune, stories, story, storyteller, storytelling, symbiosis, tandoori, trencherman, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, writer, writing | Tags: blog, blogger, blogging, butter, chicken, chilli, cook, cooking, cuisine, curry, definition, eat, eating, food, health, india, indian, meaning, oil, pune, recipe, restaurant, spice, spicy, taste, tasty, wakad |
January 10, 2012
Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: BAKED MUTTON CURRY – DABBA GOSHT.
Click the link above for the Recipe for Melt-in-the-Mouth Baked Mutton Curry Delicacy – Dabba Gosht
Posted in food, Food and drink, india, indian, karve, leisure, life, literature, mughlai, mumbai, pune, stories, story, tandoori, travel, trencherman, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, writing | Tags: author, bake, blog, book, cocktail, cook, cooking, cuisine, curry, eat, eating, egg, food, gravy, guide, india, indian, karve, meat, mumbai, mutton, pie, pune, recipe, restaurant, review, travel, trencherman, vikram, vikram karve, writer, writing |
May 27, 2011
Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: CURRY – A Biography.
A Fascinating and Delicious Book on Indian Curry
BOOK REVIEW by VIKRAM KARVE
CURRY – A Biography by Lizzie Collingham
There is no greater love than the love of eating and there is no greater pleasure than the joy of reading.
I love eating delicious food.
I enjoy reading good books.
That’s why I was so thrilled when I came across a delightful book on food in my library. The moment I saw the book I grabbed it, rushed home, and spent the rest of the day in sheer bliss relishing this mouthwatering book.
Would you be so good and permit me, my dear Readers, fellow Foodies, and Bibliophiles, to tell you a bit about this wonderful book.
TITLE: Curry: A Biography
AUTHOR: Lizzie Collingham
PUBLISHER: Chatto & Windus, London, 2005, 318 pages
PRICE: £16.99
ISBN 0701173351
The moment you start reading the book you realize that the author truly loves food, loves India, loves history, and loves writing. And that’s why this well researched culinary biography of curry is so fascinating and engrossing.
At the beginning of her preface, Lizzie Collingham tells about the beginnings of her gastromonic adventures in India from the moment she drank her first thick, velvety-sweet and seductive lassi in Colaba Mumbai.
What follows is a remarkable culinary exploration, delving much beyond the study of curry, encompassing fabulous panoply of Indian cuisine like Biryani, ChickenTikka Masala, Vindaloo, Korma, Madras Curry and Curry Powders, Cutlets and Chai, and British food in India.
The highlights of the book are the twenty select recipes at the end of each chapter ranging from Kebabs, Biryani and Korma to Bebinca, Vindaloo and Dhansak, and even laddus and lassis. I tried out the Lamb Korma and it was indeed succulent and delicious.
The ‘meat’ of the book is chapter 6 on “Curry Powder” which includes unique and rare formulations, and even a poem recipe.
This is indeed an ‘unputdownable’ book, replete with lively anecdotes and interesting gastronomic and historical facts.
The artistic and apt illustrations, vivid maps, attractive design and appealing get-up enhance the enjoyment of the reading experience.
I wish the author had included authentic restaurants and signature curry eateries from India in the chapter on Curry Travels to make it complete and comprehensive (and fully satiating).
The exhaustive bibliography bears testimony to the research efforts of the author.
Curry – a biography is a delicious book. Relish it, savor it, feast on it.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2011
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this book review.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures(2008) and is currently working on his novel. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 14 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse – his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Posted in writing | Tags: appetite for a stroll, author, bebinca, blog, blogging, book, chicken, cocktail, cook, creative, curry, eat, eating, egg, england, food, foodie, guide, heritage, history, india, indian, kabab, karve, kebab, kofta, korma, kurma, lassi, meat, mutton, powder, recipe, review, spice, stories, story, travel, veg, vegetable, vegetarian, vikram, vikram karve, writer, writing |
December 1, 2010
Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: WINTER HAS ARRIVED – IT IS TIME FOR A DO PIAZA.
How to Cook and Eat CHICKEN DO PIAZA
A Simple Recipe for the ultimate Mughlai Dish
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Winter has arrived. So, to warm you up, it is time to cook and eat a Do Piaza – a mutton do piaza or a chicken do piaza, take your pick.
Here, from my Foodie Archives is one of my favourite Recipes. It is the recipe for Chicken Do Piaza, but if you prefer mutton do piaza you can make it the same way.
The Story of Do Piaza
If you want a first impression of the authenticity of a “Mughlai” Restaurant, the first dish you must order and taste is a “Do Piaza” and it will give you an idea of the standard and authenticity of Mughlai Cuisine you can expect there.
Indeed the “Do Piaza” may be considered the culinary benchmark to judge and evaluate a Mughlai Restaurant.
And if Do Piaza [Mutton or Chicken] doesn’t figure on the menu, you better order Chinese or Continental, or stick to the ubiquitous “Punjabi” Butter Chicken-Naan routine!
“Do Piaza” means “two onions” or rather “double onions”.
Now how did this dish get its name?
Maybe it’s apocryphal, but legend has it that this delicious dish was invented by Mullah Do-Piaza, a renowned and celebrated cook at the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. One of the Navaratnas (nine jewels), it is said he could conjure up culinary delights using only two onions, and a Mughlai dish cooked in that particular style is called a “Do Piaza”.
Water is not used at all when cooking a Do Piaza.
Onions (Piaz or Pyaaz) are used twice – hence the name “Do” [“Two”] Piaza, or Pyaaza, spell it whichever way you like.
The word “Do” refers to the number “Two” in Urdu or Hindi. So we have the first piaza and the second piaza…!
Come Dear Reader and fellow Foodie… let us together cook a Chicken Do Piaza. It takes time, but it’s easy.
THE FIRST PIAZA
First cut a generous number of onions (the more the onions the sweeter the gravy) into rings, yes separate onion rings.
Now, in a large cooking vessel, put in the chicken pieces, add a liberal amount of curds and mix well. Copiously layer the chicken-curd mixture with the onion rings, cover with a tight lid and set aside to marinate for at least an hour.
Remember, do not vigorously mix in the onion rings; just liberally layer the chicken-curd mélange with the onion rings.
After marinating the chicken-curd-onion ring mixture for an hour or more, place the vessel on a slow fire with the lid on, and let the chicken cook slowly in its own juices and those released by the onion rings, till the onion rings are reduced to a pulp and, finally, the liquid almost dries up.
This is the first “Piaza”!
THE SECOND PIAZA
In another pan, pour in and heat pure ghee and fry sliced onions (the “second” piaza) till crisp brown, add finely chopped ginger and garlic, bay leaf, slit green chillies, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and then an adequate amount of chopped tomatoes, stir and fry on slow fire, and when the ghee separates, add the chicken [cooked in curds and onion rings] from the first pot, and stir fry till well browned and the gravy becomes nice and thick.
I don’t like to add garam masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, or any other spice powders; but if you like it, go ahead.
I always find it best to taste the gravy and add the minimal amount of salt as necessary almost at the end of the cooking process.
Remember, do not add water at any stage or you will ruin the dish.
A “Do Piaza” cooks in its own juices – during both the first and second “piazas”.
EATING THE “DO PIAZA”
Place in a serving dish, squeeze a lemon, garnish with fresh green chopped coriander and your Chicken Do Piaza is ready to eat.
But first let’s “visually” savour the Do Piaza in our mind’s eye.
It looks appetizing – nicely browned generous pieces of succulent mutton, in translucent juicy onion rings in scrumptious gravy.
It smells good too – heavenly mouth-watering aroma wafts towards you making you smack your lips and salivate in anticipation of the gastronomic treat that awaits you.
It tastes marvellous – absolutely delicious, not spicy hot, but mild and flavoursome, the unique sweetish zest of onions is discernible and as the heavenly medley of flavours and fragrances synergizes inside you, and you feel a sense of supreme satisfaction.
Relish the Chicken Do Piaza with hot chappties, phulkas or even a piece of soft fluffy pav, and you will experience sheer bliss.
For more such mouthwatering recipes do read my foodie adventures book
Happy Eating.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
VIKRAM KARVE educated at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop’s School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book “Appetite for a Stroll”. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Posted in blog, food, karve | Tags: author, blog, book, chicken, cook, creative, cuisine, curry, dish, do piaza, eat, food, india, indian, karve, meat, mughlai, mutton, onion, pune, recipe, restaurant, story, vikram, vikram karve, writer, writing |
November 29, 2009
DO PIAZA CHICKEN
A Simple recipe for the ultimate Mughlai Cuisine
By
VIKRAM KARVE
If you want a first impression of the authenticity of a “Mughlai” Restaurant, the first dish you must order and taste is a “Do Piaza” and it will give you an idea of the standard and authenticity of Mughlai Cuisine you can expect there.
Indeed the “Do Piaza” may be considered the culinary benchmark to judge and evaluate a Mughlai Restaurant.
And if Do Piaza [Mutton or Chicken] doesn’t figure on the menu, you better order Chinese or Continental, or stick to the ubiquitous “Punjabi” Butter Chicken-Naan routine!
“Do Piaza” means “two onions” or rather “double onions”.
Now how did this dish get its name?
Maybe it’s apocryphal, but legend has it that this delicious dish was invented by Mullah Do-Piaza, a renowned and celebrated cook at the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court. One of the Navaratnas (nine jewels), it is said he could conjure up culinary delights using only two onions, and a Mughlai dish cooked in that particular style is called a “Do Piaza”.
Water is not used at all when cooking a Do Piaza.
Onions (Piaz or Pyaaz) are used twice – hence the name “Do” [“Two”] Piaza, or Pyaaza, spell it whichever way you like.
Come Dear Reader and fellow Foodie; let’s together cook a Chicken Do Piaza. It takes time, but it’s easy.
THE FIRST PIAZA
First cut a generous number of onions (the more the onions the sweeter the gravy) into rings, yes separate onion rings.
Now, in a large cooking vessel, put in the chicken pieces, add a liberal amount of curds and mix well. Copiously layer the chicken-curd mixture with the onion rings, cover with a tight lid and set aside to marinate for at least an hour.
Remember, do not vigorously mix in the onion rings; just liberally layer the chicken-curd mélange with the onion rings.
After marinating the chicken-curd-onion ring mixture for an hour or more, place the vessel on a slow fire with the lid on, and let the chicken cook slowly in its own juices and those released by the onion rings, till the onion rings are reduced to a pulp and, finally, the liquid almost dries up.
This is the first “Piaza”!
THE SECOND PIAZA
In another pan, pour in and heat pure ghee and fry sliced onions (the “second” piaza) till crisp brown, add finely chopped ginger and garlic, bay leaf, slit green chillies, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and then an adequate amount of chopped tomatoes, stir and fry on slow fire, and when the ghee separates, add the chicken [cooked in curds and onion rings] from the first pot, and stir fry till well browned and the gravy becomes nice and thick.
I don’t like to add garam masala, turmeric, red chilli powder, or any other spice powders; but if you like it, go ahead.
I always find it best to taste the gravy and add the minimal amount of salt as necessary almost at the end of the cooking process.
Remember, do not add water at any stage or you will ruin the dish.
A “Do Piaza” cooks in its own juices – during both the first and second “piazas”.
EATING THE “DO PIAZA”
Place in a serving dish, squeeze a lemon, garnish with fresh green chopped coriander and your Chicken Do Piaza is ready to eat.
But first let’s “visually” savour the Do Piaza in our mind’s eye.
It looks appetizing – nicely browned generous pieces of succulent mutton, in translucent juicy onion rings in scrumptious gravy.
It smells good too – heavenly mouth-watering aroma wafts towards you making you smack your lips and salivate in anticipation of the gastronomic treat that awaits you.
It tastes marvellous – absolutely delicious, not spicy hot, but mild and flavoursome, the unique sweetish zest of onions is discernible and as the heavenly medley of flavours and fragrances synergizes inside you, and you feel a sense of supreme satisfaction.
Relish the Chicken Do Piaza with hot chappties, phulkas or even a piece of soft fluffy pav, and you will experience sheer bliss.
For more such mouthwatering recipes do read my foodie book Appetite for a Stroll
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
Happy Eating.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com
vikramkarve@sify.com
Posted in blog, book, cuisine, food, food blog, good food, heritage, history, humor, india, indian, karve, life, literary, literature, love, lovedale, mughlai, mumbai, non-fiction, recipe, review, stories, story, tandoori, trencherman, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, weblog, website, women, work, writer, writing | Tags: akbar, appetite for a stroll, author, birbal, blog, book, chicken, cook, cooking, cuisine, curds, curry, do piaza, eat, food, foodie, garlic, ginger, gravy, happiness, health, history, humor, india, indian, karve, kitchen, lamb, marinade, marinate, masala, meat, mughal, mughalai, mughlai, mumbai, mutton, onion, pune, recipe, restaurant, spice, stories, story, tandoori, taste, tasty, tomato, vikram, vikram karve, women, writer, writing, yoghurt |
August 10, 2009
A CLEAN WELL-LIGHTED PLACE
“A Clean, Well-Lighted Place!”
That’s the first thought that instantly comes to my mind the moment I enter Courtyard’s MoMo Café on Saturday afternoon.
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is the title of my favourite Ernest Hemingway Short Story – the phrase depicts the café where the story is set.
Well that’s what MoMo Café is – a Clean Airy Well Lighted Spacious Friendly café with wonderful feel-good ambience and superb food, tasteful décor and pleasant aesthetics which make you feel fresh, cheerful, comfortable and relaxed. Yes, the bright vibes of the place certainly lift my spirits and make me feel good the moment I enter the lobby of Courtyard.
We walk in the spacious “courtyard”, past MoMo 2 Go, the “to go” grab and go deli, stocked with tempting baked delights, for those in a hurry.
Well, I am not in a hurry, so I leisurely stroll past the spic-and-span counter adorned with tempting goodies and the appetizing buffet spread. There are pickles, in traditional jars, a mix and match and toss your own salad counter, and soups and broths. Everything is so visually pleasing that I can sense the appetite being built up inside me.
It is heartening to see the immaculate open display kitchen – it always feels reassuring to see your food being cooked in front of you with impeccable standards of hygiene and quality.
I look around. MoMo Café is a happy place and the seating is comfortable, ample, user-friendly and well-designed.
It is a leisurely Saturday afternoon cosmopolitan crowd comprising a delightful assortment – joyful families, young IT executives, couples, singles, friends, business guests, eager foodies, relaxed tourists and cosy friends spending a leisurely afternoon over a chilled beer, a tasty bite and snug conversation. There is plenty of space, there is plenty of light, freshness in the air, and everyone, the kids and the adults, seems to be having a pleasant time, enjoying the food and the friendly atmosphere.
A discerning yet innovative menu features an imaginative choice of select dishes from a variety of cuisines, from the Orient and the Occident, ranging from starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas to Kebabs and an astute selection of traditional Indian dishes, sumptuous main course delicacies, and exclusive desserts to round off your meal. Despite the impressive array of multi-cuisine, it is a short and sweet uncluttered concise well thought-out menu – a sure sign of a restaurant that takes its food seriously.
We are wondering what to order, when Subhash, the Executive Chef, joins us, so we leave it to him to do the honours. He asks to select anything we fancy from the impressive array of dishes laid out for the lunch buffet and then we’ll try his recommendations from the a-la-carte menu.
I pick up some Seafood Broth – it’s non-spicy with a combination of seafood and lots of vegetables and nourishing, just like a basic Seafood Broth ought to be. The buffet seems to be very popular perhaps because the spread is so elaborate and I wonder what to sample. I start off with some bhuna gosht – it is excellent – succulent flavoursome pieces of mutton in luxuriant gravy. The scrumptious Mustard Fried Fish and Stroganoff tempt me to try out the whole buffet lunch but Subhash has already ordered a pizza from their wood fired pizza oven – I’ll only say this: The thin crust pizza is probably the best pizza I have ever tasted – it’s light, the crust melts in the mouth and allows the tongue to fully relish the taste of sauce, cheese and delectable toppings.
“Let’s have a Momo,” I say, harking back to mouth-watering memories of my Shillong days when I first relished the yummy wholesome Momo. At first I thought that maybe MoMo Café was a Momo place but Vyshnavi and Subhash educate me – the name MoMo Café exemplifies the concept of Modern Living and Modern Eating. But surely, isn’t it apt that MoMo Café has Momos on its menu – maybe next time!
Subhash orders Nasi Goreng for me and Conchiglie Pasta for my darling vegetarian wife. There is an interesting choice of wines, spirits and cocktails, but we prefer freshly squeezed orange juice as an accompaniment.
We are indeed fortunate to have an opportunity to interact with Subhash who is a veritable human encyclopaedia on wining and dining and all things culinary. The enlightening “foodie” conversation is sheer delight and Subhash’s sincere love of food, passion for cooking and impressive repertoire of culinary knowledge enhance the eating experience and make our meal even more appetizing and intellectually stimulating.
The Nasi Goreng, Spicy Prawn Fried Rice with soft fried egg and Chicken Satay, is lip-smacking and fulfilling. I have a bite of the vegetarian Conchiglie Pasta too, savouring its inimitable taste of spinach in basil flavoured sauce, as Subhash explains the intricacies – the foam and the way this delicate dish is made.
For dessert, we have Tiramisu, the pièce de résistance of the meal. MoMo Café’s inimitable signature Tiramisu is marvellous – a fitting climax to a splendid meal. Subhash tells us it is a non-alcoholic Tiramisu, to cater to children and local preferences, but let me tell you that it is the best Tiramisu I have ever had and the delightful symbiosis of delectable tastes lingers within me for a long long time.
I will cherish mouth-watering memories of this lovely Saturday afternoon forever. I am sure MoMo Café is going to be a hit, a boon to the foodies of Pune, due to its unique location, superb food, vibrant ambience, impeccable standards of hygiene and quality, and the warm and friendly service.
I am going to certainly going to eat at MoMo Café again. And this time I am going to check out the Indian Cuisine. I’ll start with melt-in-the-mouth dissolve-on-your-tongue Galawat Kebab, savour a Nalli Nihari – let’s see how it compares with the authentic versions of this luscious fortifying breakfast dish I’ve relished in the heart of Delhi and Mumbai. Then I’ll try some Dum Biryani and end with a soothing Kulfi Falooda.
A true Foodie eats twice, first in his mind’s eye, and then with his taste buds. So whenever a Foodie ventures out to a new place he builds up some expectations – MoMo Café certainly exceeded my expectations in all aspects and we thoroughly enjoyed the overall dining experience.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
Dear Reader, if you enjoyed reading this, and want to relish more such delicious foodie adventures, do read APPETITE FOR A STROLL
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
vikramkarve@sify.com
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
Posted in anthology, art of eating, art of living, aundh, author, biography, blog, blogcamp, blogger, blogging, Blogroll, book, business, career, children, creative, cuisine, curry, dating, deemed, desires, diat, drinking, eating, education, fiction, food, food blog, fun, good food, guide, happiness, health, hinjewadi, hobby, humor, iit, india, indian, karve, leisure, life, love, lovedale, management, memoir, motivation, mughlai, mumbai, musing, nlp, non-fiction, oxymoron, parenting, passion, philosophy, play, poona, pune, recipe, review, romance, short, short story, stories, story, storyteller, storytelling, sulekha, symbiosis, tandoori, television, tourism, travel, trencherman, tv, university, values, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, weblog, women, work, writer, writing | Tags: anthology, appetite for a stroll, aundh, author, baner, bar, barista, blog, book, broth, business, cafe, chef, chicken, children, coffee, conchiglie, court, cuisine, curry, date, dating, deemed, deli, diat, dining, drive, eat, eating, expressway, family, fish, flavor, food, girinagar, gravy, guide, highway, hinjewadi, hotel, hygiene, iit, india, indian, infotech, internet, IT, karve, kitchen, lamb, life, love, lunch, marriott, menu, momo, mumbai, mutton, online, out, park, pizza, poona, pune, quality, recipe, review, romance, sauce, sea, seafood, shop, spice, stories, story, taste, travel, university, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, wakad, writer, writing, yard |
July 15, 2009
BREAKFAST IN GIRGAUM
Mouthwatering Mumbai Memories
by
VIKRAM KARVE
An excerpt from my Foodie Adventures Book Appetite for a Stroll
Mumbai is in Maharashtra. You will get all genres and varieties of cuisine in Mumbai, but tell me, where would you go for an authentic Maharashtrian breakfast?
My favorite place is Vinay Lunch Home near Thakurdwar in Girgaum.
When I used to stay at Churchgate, I used to walk down Marine Drive towards Chowpatty, cross the road near Taraporewala Aquarium, take the lane between Kaivalyadhama Yoga Centre and Savitribai Phule Ladies Hostel, (the lane is called Income Tax Lane), cross the railway overbridge at the southern end of Charni Road Station on the Western Railway, walk straight on Thakurdwar Road, cross Girgaum (JSS) Road, and continue walking till I reached Vinay on my right.
Have you ever tasted a dish called Misal?
If you want to know what an authentic Misal tastes like, try the Misal at Vinay. It is the signature dish of the place and I don’t think anyone else serves a better Misal than Vinay of Girgaum.
The place is always crowded and you may have to wait for a seat, but the sight of foodies voraciously eating and the gastronomic ambiance will help build up your appetite.
The moment you sit down in the shiny bright eatery, with mirrors all around, order a Misal. Don’t delve too much on the contents, or the ingredients, which basically comprise an Usal, Rassa (the spicy curry) and the garnish of sev, chiwda, farsan, onions, fresh corriander and green chillies, arranged in three tiers and served with a wedge of lemon.
There are two bowls and spoons.
Using both spoons, mix the contents thoroughly, squeeze the lemon, and eat.
It’s hot, delicious; your tongue is on fire, your nose will run and your eyes will water – the true test of a genuine Misal.
Bash on regardless.
Never try to douse the appetizing zesty fire in your insides by sipping water or ruin the gastronomic experience by succumbing to a bite of pav or bread they may have the temerity to place alongside.
Pav with Bhaji or Vada-Pav may be fine, but if you want to savor the genuine taste of misal, and experience the “proof” of the real stuff, it would be tantamount to sacrilege to have pav with misal.
If you like things less spicy try Dahi Misal. The sweet cool curds (dahi or yoghurt), fiery chillis, zesty onions and spicy crisp chiwda-shev provide an excellent contrasting symbiosis of tastes and flavors.
If you do want to have something with pav, try the Patal Bhaji or Usal.
Fresh soft bread [pav] drenched in the delicious gravies – it’s heavenly.
You’ll find all the Maharashtrian specialties on the menu, including the Upas (Fast) food like sabudanyachi khichadi and wade, but you must go there and discover for yourself.
There are quite a few exquisite preparations of pohe too.
But do remember to end with chilled piyush or mango lassi to savor a sweet end to a delightful repast.
If you are looking for authentic value-for-money pure vegetarian Maharashtrian cuisine in Mumbai, head for Vinay – and you will carry mouthwatering memories of the place forever.
And if you know of a place that serves a better Misal, please be so good as to inform me.
Happy Eating!
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work
An excerpt from my Foodie Adventures Book Appetite for a Stroll
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com
vikramkarve@sify.com
Posted in anthology, art of eating, author, blog, blogcamp, blogger, blogging, Blogroll, book, business, children, creative, critic, cuisine, curry, dating, desires, dhaba, divorce, eating, education, fiction, flash fiction, food, food blog, fun, good food, happiness, health, heritage, humor, iit, india, indian, institute, internet, karve, leisure, life, literature, love, lovedale, management, marathi, marriage, married, mumbai, musing, nlp, non-fiction, opera, parenting, philosophy, poona, pune, railway, recipe, romance, short, short story, stimulus, stories, story, storyteller, storytelling, stress, sulekha, symbiosis, tandoori, technology, tourism, travel, university, values, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, weblog, website, women, work, writer, writing | Tags: adventure, anthology, appetite, appetite for a stroll, article, author, blog, bombay, book, breakfast, charni, chef, chowpatty, church, cook, cooking, creative, cuisine, curry, dahi, dating, eat, eating, english, fast, food, foodie, fun, gate, girgaon, girgaum, girinagar, gravy, guide, happiness, health, home, hotel, india, indian, internet, karve, khichadi, kolhapuri, lassi, lunch, maharashtra, maharashtrian, management, marathi, marine drive, meal, memoir, misal, mumbai, online, out, parenting, pav, piyush, pohe, pune, recipe, restaurant, review, road, romance, snack, thakurdwar, thali, travel, usal, v karve, v w karve, vada, veg, vegetarian, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, vinay, wada, walk, website, writer, writing |
June 13, 2009
FOOD – HOW TO EAT IT
ART OF EATING
By
VIKRAM KARVE
[An essay on the Art of Eating – one of my earliest foodie blog posts on Sulekha which appears in my book Appetite for a Stroll along with my other foodie writings]
THE ART OF EATING
Are you in the habit of “grabbing a bite”?
Do you ever eat in the office while continuing to work or just skip meals altogether?
Do you multitask while eating?
Do you have power breakfasts, working lunches and business dinners?
Do you eat fast and hurriedly, finish meals well ahead of everyone else and eat in bigger bites without savoring the taste of food?
Can you vividly recall the taste of all the dishes you ate for dinner yesterday night?
Do you want to master the Art of Eating and enjoy your food?
Remember, there is no love greater than the love of eating – so read on, learn and try to master the Art of Eating!
Good food must be savored delicately; slowly, attentively and respectfully; in a befitting manner, with finesse and technique, with relish and appreciation and you will experience true gustatory delight.
That’s essence of the Art of Eating.
It is sacrilege to eat in a ravenous and rapacious manner.
Never eat when tired, angry, worried, tense, hurried, and at mealtimes refuse to think or talk about unpleasant subjects.
It is best to eat alone, mindfully, with yourself, in glorious solitude, in a calm, serene, conducive and unhurried environment.
If you must have company, you must always eat with friendly, relaxed and tranquil people who love food and whose company you enjoy; never eat with “toxic”, “harried” or “stressed-out” people or in a tense or hurried atmosphere.
If you want to do full justice to good food, you must build up an appetite for it – merely being hungry is not enough.
And the first step towards building up an appetite for good food is to think about it – simulated imaginative gustatory visualization to stimulate and prepare yourself for the sumptuous indulgence.
An important thing we were taught at boarding school was to read the menu and prepare for the meal by beginning to imagine relishing each and every dish, from soup to pudding, in our mind’s eye.
Remember: First plan your “eat” and then eat your “plan”.
It’s true. I eat my food twice.
First in my mind’s eye – imagining, visualizing, “vicariously tasting”, fantasizing, strategizing on how I am going to savor and relish the dish to my utmost pleasure and satisfaction till my mouth waters and I desperately yearn to eat it.
And then I do the honours – actually go ahead and physically eat it and enjoy the delightful experience.
Eating is not a gustatory experience alone; it is visual and olfactory as well.
Food must look good, smell good, taste good and, most importantly, make you feel good.
The Art of Eating – a Holistic, Multidimensional experience, encompassing all domains of your inner being.
Eat in silence. Mindfully. With full awareness.
Savour the aroma, delicately place the food on your tongue, chew slowly and experience the variety of flavours as the permeate your taste buds, fully aware and sense the nourishment as the food dissolves and sinks deep within you.
Chew your food to a pulp or milky liquid until it practically swallows itself.
Never mix food and drink – alcohol dulls the taste buds, and olfactory sensation, and encumbers the unmitigated enjoyment of good food.
You must always close your eyes during the process of eating.
When you eat, you must eat; nothing else, no seeing, no hearing, no talking. No multitasking. That’s right – never multi-task while eating.
Just eat! Focus all your senses on your food, eat mindfully, meditatively, and you will attain a state of delightful bliss and happiness.
It’s simple. Create a positive eating atmosphere, honour your taste buds, respect your food and eat it in a proper state of mind, with love, zest, awareness and genuine appreciation and it will transport you to a state of bliss and happiness.
Remember: There is no love greater than the love of eating!
In a nutshell, this is the “Art of Eating“.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
Appetite for a Stroll
vikramkarve@sify.com
vikramkarve.sulekha.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://www.ryze.com/go/karve
Posted in anthology, art, art of eating, art of living, aundh, author, bachelor, banaras, biography, blog, blogcamp, blogger, blogging, Blogroll, book, camp, career, chic lit, children, colaba, copyright, creative, critic, cuisine, curry, dating, dhaba, drinking, eating, education, ethics, fiction, food, food blog, Food/Health Related, good food, guide, happiness, health, heritage, history, hobby, humor, ideology, iit, india, indian, internet, itbhu, joy, karve, leisure, life, literary, literature, love, lovedale, management, marathi, marriage, meditation, memoir, money, mughlai, mumbai, musing, nlp, non-fiction, novel, novella, oxymoron, paradigm, parenting, passion, Personality, philosophy, poona, psychotherapy, pune, railway, recipe, review, romance, sex, short, short story, stories, story, storyteller, storytelling, sulekha, symbiosis, technology, television, tourism, train, travel, trencherman, tv, varanasi, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, vivekananda, weblog, website, women, work, writer, writing | Tags: appetite for a stroll, art, art of living, article, author, biryani, blog, blogadda, blogging, book, books, creative, cuisine, curry, fiction, flipkart, food, food blog, foodie, guide, happiness, health, hotel, india, indian, indiaplaza, information, karve, management, meditation, mumbai, philosophy, pune, recipe, restaurant, sea, stories, story, travel, vegetarian, vikram, vikram karve, writing |
May 20, 2009
MOUTHWATERING MEMORIES
A SOUL STIRRING EVENING
By
VIKRAM KARVE
[Mouth-watering Memories of a Yummy Foodie Date]
Falling in love?
Wondering where to go on that crucial Foodie First Date in Pune?
Try “Soul”.
We had a truly soul stirring evening at Soul on a warm Sunday evening last summer. Let me tell you about it.
It’s easy to get to Soul – just drive down North Main Road in Koregaon Park and turn into ABC Farms to your left, let the valet park your car and walk straight ahead into the lovely ambience of Soul.
The surroundings are green, natural, with trees – wonder why they’ve put a cover over the top of the dining area – dining under the clear night sky is much more pleasurable and romantic.
You may find the place full, like we did, even though we reached as early as eight.
There is a mini golf course to keep you occupied while you wait for your table, or you can sit at the impressive well stocked bar, like I did, sipping deliciously soothing “mocktail” Virgin Pina Colada. I am sure I would have sampled something more potent and exciting from their ample cocktail repertoire in my heyday!
I look around the truly contrasting cosmopolitan crowd – young “table-for-two” lovey-dovey couples having a tender romantic candle-lit dinner, a boisterous group celebrating a birthday, lively friends spiritedly wining and animatedly dining and happy families thoroughly enjoying themselves.
The ambience is wonderfully friendly and relaxing – generous use of wood, wrought iron chairs, candle-lit tables – a rather alluring charming atmosphere in natural verdant surroundings.
Soon we sit comfortably at a table, and as if on cue, the music starts – one of my favourite golden oldies.
I listen with rapt attention, lose myself in the nostalgic music, feel rejuvenated, and as the song ends I realize that my vivacious “date” has already ordered Soul Kebab, Rogan Josh, Chicken Makhani and Naan.
I browse through the tempting Italian delicacies on the menu and look at her in mute supplication, but the lovely young lady sitting opposite me is not moved and closes the issue in her typical peremptory manner “My friend told me that the Soul Kebab and Indian dishes are good here!” Period!
The Rogan Josh, Butter Chicken [Chicken Makhani] and Naan arrive.
“Rogan Josh must always be eaten with rice!” I affirm to my foodie companion.
She looks at me curiously, and orders steamed rice, and while it arrives, I dig into the Butter Chicken.
The Butter Chicken looks good and tastes good.
This preparation is in the same league as the celebrated Butter Chicken I’ve relished at the famous original Moti Mahal of Daryaganj and at Gaylord in Churchgate.
The soft Naan drenched in the lip-smacking creamy gravy scintillates my taste buds.
She wants a Roomali Roti. “Sorry,” says the waiter, “No Roomali Roti, only Roti and Naan, there is a shortage of staff.”
She frowns in disbelief. A pity! A real pity for a posh restaurant; but at least they are honest about it!
I look at the Rogan Josh. I am disappointed. It doesn’t look like Rogan Josh, so I ask the waiter whether he’s brought Mutton Masala or some other mutton curry dish instead, maybe, owing to shortage of staff, but he confirms that the thick greenish brown gravy with rather muddy coloured chunks of meat is indeed “Rogan Josh”.
Authentic Rogan Josh is the most visually appealing, passionately tempting and appetizing dish which makes your mouth water and entices you to eat it. I feel it is vital that food must look good, for we “eat” our food twice – first we eat with our eyes, then with our tongues.
I taste the gravy – yes, distinctive taste of pure ghee is clearly discernible and this locally improvised version of Rogan Josh seems quite tasty, the mutton is well cooked and succulent, a decent passable mutton dish, certainly not superb.
We eat our meal slowly, enjoying the delightful music.
It is “open mike” night and spontaneous spur-of-the-moment singers from the diners, egged on by active participation from one and all, enliven, and almost electrify, the atmosphere.
It’s good, real good, a truly unforgettable soul-stirring dining experience.
I’m glad we visited Soul.
It’s good, real good; we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, good reasonably priced food, invigorating music, breathtaking ambience, a truly unforgettable soul-stirring dining experience.
Dear Reader, if you enjoyed reading this, and want to relish more such delicious foodie adventures, do read APPETITE FOR A STROLL:
http://www.indiaplaza.in/finalpage.aspx?storename=books&sku=9788190690096&ct=2
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm
Happy Eating.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2009
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://www.ryze.com/go/karve
vikramkarve@sify.com
Posted in anthology, art of eating, art of living, arts, aundh, author, bachelor, blog, blogcamp, blogger, blogging, Blogroll, book, business, camp, career, creative, cuisine, curry, dating, dhaba, drinking, eating, fiction, food, food blog, fun, good food, guide, happiness, health, heritage, hinjewadi, hobby, humor, iit, india, indian, karve, leisure, life, literary, literature, love, lovedale, management, memoir, money, motivation, mughlai, mumbai, nlp, non-fiction, oxymoron, pune, review, romance, sex, short, short story, skills, sr, stimulus, stories, storyteller, storytelling, sulekha, symbiosis, technology, train, travel, trencherman, Uncategorized, university, values, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, weblog, website, work, writer, writing | Tags: abc, appetite for a stroll, author, blog, blogprint, book, continental, creative, cuisine, curry, date, dating, dining, eat, eating, farm, flirt, food, foodie, guide, india, indian, karve, koregaon, love, mughlai, music, park, pune, recipe, restaurant, rogan josh, romance, soul, sulekha, travel, travelogue, vikram, vikram karve, waman, writer, writing |
October 9, 2007
Posted in 2007, anthology, art, art of eating, arts, aundh, author, bachelor, blog, blogcamp, blogger, blogging, Blogroll, colaba, creative, critic, cuisine, curry, desires, dhaba, eating, fiction, food, food blog, fun, good food, guide, happiness, health, heritage, history, hobby, iit, india, indian, institute, interests, itbhu, jee, joy, karve, leisure, life, literary, literature, love, lovedale, management, marathi, memoir, money, motivation, mughlai, mumbai, musing, non-fiction, oxymoron, passion, poona, pune, recipe, review, romance, sangvi, skills, stories, story, storyteller, storytelling, sulekha, symbiosis, tandoori, technology, tourism, travel, trencherman, university, vikram, vikram karve, vikram waman karve, weblog, website, women, work, writer, writing | Tags: anthology, bake, baked, chef, chicken, cook, cream, cuisine, curry, dabba, eating, egg, ghosht, gosht, gravy, india, indian, karve, lamb, meat, mumbai, mutton, pune, recipe, vikram karve |
Vikram Karve 