Forgetful Elephant By Anoothi Vishal In the gastronomic universe, French food is revered, Spanish seen as unutterably chic, Italian as pop but British as mostly crap. Of course, it’s an unfortunate reputation. British pub staples are wholesome, wonderful comfort food that will fill your stomach and gladden your heart while (usually) not costing the earth. [...]
C’Wealth Cuisines
Mughalai meets Bengali: The story of a heritage cuisine
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on February 23rd, 2011
By Anoothi Vishal The Mughals undoubtedly had the biggest impact on the cuisines of northern Indian (as also the Deccan) and even though “Mughlai” food is a generic term today, usually standing for a hodge podge of commercially-constructed dishes, some of our most interesting heritage cuisines have Mughal roots. So what are these heritage cuisines [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cuisines, Heritage 
Tags: 100 Years, Ancestor, Bengali, Bhagirathi, Connoisseurs, Cuisines, Deccan, Earliest Times, Eyesight, Hodge Podge, Lineage, Maternal Side, Mughals, Murshid, Murshidabad, Old Delhi, Rampur, Reluctant Chef, Sporadic Attempts, Today In English 
Comments OffRoti chanai, dim sums and an “anti-cafe ”
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on October 3rd, 2010
Fu In Chinese, it means “good luck” and indeed Fu marks a great turning point in the business of restaurants in Delhi—at least, when it comes to Chinese food. Unlike the “family-style”, Indian-Chinese places of yore, this is an anti café with nothing stereotypical about it. So abandon all old-fashioned expectations of how a Chinese restaurant [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cuisines, Reviews Tags: Assembly Line, Beve, Chinese Food, Chinese Restaurant, Chinese Silk, Dim Sums, Dirge, Family Style, Gaurav, Investment Banker, Low Key, Mocktails, Naidu, Ncr, Rekhi, Restaurateur, Silk Screens, Splashes, Takeaway, Tiny Place Comments OffThe truth about Chettinad
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on August 31st, 2010
One of the few south Indian cuisines to be really exposed to us all over the country is, of course, Chettinad — or more correctly, the cuisine of the Nattukotai Chettiar community of Tamil Nadu. Speak of south Indian non-vegetarian food (at least outside the four peninsular states) and nine out of 10 people are [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Chefs, Cuisines Tags: Adjective, Butter Chicken, Chettiars, Chettinad Cuisine, Complete Solution, Crockery And Cutlery, Hotel In Chennai, Itc, Overwhelming Popularity, Paraphernalia, Park Hotel, Parlance, Punjabi, Repute, Sheraton Park, Sobriquet, South Indian Food, Tiffin, Vegetarian Food, Wedding Planner Comments OffPaya, paella and some omlette talk
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on December 31st, 2009
How to serve up trotters… and the best of eggs… By Anoothi Vishal “By the way, Chandra can now cook the perfect paya,” said uncle-in-law, who can be quite the intimidating editor with a fondness for all things food and French. Chandra is his cook, an affable pahari lady who has withstood perfection in the [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cuisines, Culture in India, Recipes Tags: Accompaniments, Amrita Sher Gil, Breads, Chandra, Fondness, Foodie, Indian Classical Music, Jama Masjid, Members Of The Family, Old Delhi, Paella, Paya Recipe, Poor Man, Red Wine, Roti, Shahjahanabad, Sher, Trotters, Vishal, Wheat Bread 3 Comments »Anoothi’s Culinary Experiences in Goa
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on July 13th, 2009
You wouldn’t think there is either a global recession or an off-season in Goa, crossing the Mandovi in a chartered mini-bus. The vehicle, after all, is just one in a snaking line of several used by hotels to ferry guests to and from the airport. Since I was last here in the land of sun [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cities in India, Luxury Tags: Abodes, Aguada Beach Resort, Boutique Hotels, Candolim, Cashews, Chicken Sandwhich, Culinary Experiences, Domestic Travelers, Exotic Vacation, First Timer, Furious Sea, Global Recession, Holiday Makers, Leisure Venues, Mandovi, Mini Bus, Old Faithful, Picnic Lunches, Pronounciations, Star Properties Comments OffIn praise of Bengali food
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on May 20th, 2009
Amit and Amiti, two of my journalist friends, invited us over for dinner at their home this weekend. And what a splendid meal they provided. I know, if you are cooking yourself, the trick is to keep things really simple so that you can enjoy the evening yourself. But given the kind of upbringing I [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cuisines, Recipes Tags: Amiti, Bengali Food, Bhuna, Calcutta Run, Casual Evenings, Home Cook, Kosha, Lentils, Mainstays, Muslim Rule, Mutton, North India, Oh Calcutta, Open Wok, Plain Rice, Poppy Seeds, Puris, Retail Companies, Speciality Restaurants, Spicy Meat, Turmeric 2 Comments »The world’s best risotto chef
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on May 16th, 2009
Before the financial meltdown when chefs indulged in high-flying nonsense such as edible gold in ice cream sundaes, a risotto of escargots (the most expensive in the world, on a room service menu, where else but in France) would have tickled our fantasies. Now, it just makes us go ugh at the waste of it [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cuisines, Restaurants Tags: Best Restaurants, Buffet Menus, Cold Cuts, Distinctive Traditions, Edible Gold, Financial Meltdown, Hollywood Celebs, Ice Cream Sundaes, Indian Restaurants, Khichdi, Perfect Risotto, Pope John Paul, Porridge, Posh Restaurant, Raw Fish, Restaurant Menus, Room Service Menu, Simple Creations, Wholesome Food, Yardsticks 1 Comment »Street Foods of India… in pictures
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on May 5th, 2009
“In the main bazaar of Pahar Ganj, a popular area amongst backpackers who visit Delhi, there is a pakora stand that’s been there since the beginning of time. A fat man used to run it, at the corner of the vegetable market, selling pakoras for ten rupees a plate. He sat—and is probably still sitting—cross-egged [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cuisines, Culture in India, Food Books Tags: Aromas, Bazaars, Beginning Of Time, Black Oil, Commercial Photographer, First Food, Flavours, Food Magazine, Food Of India, Fritters, Pahar Ganj, Pakoras, Runny Nose, Rupees, Samosa, Snack Maker, Street Food, Street Scene, Vadas, Vegetable Market 1 Comment »Indian Food Made Easy by Anjum Anand
Posted by Anoothi Vishal on April 2nd, 2009
A presenter of BBC2’s Indian Food Made Easy, Anjum Anand is as attractive as some of the recipes photographed for this beautifully brought out book—with photographs by Vanessa Courtier. Anjum’s show was being aired on Discovery Travel and Living in India and the book was brought out alongside, or at least that’s how I laid [...]
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Eat Healthy, Recipes Tags: Anjum Anand, Bbc2, Bread Crumbs, Burgers, Chicken Meat, Chicken Section, Chicken Tikka, Chilli Chicken, Chutneys, Courtier, Discovery Travel, Indian Food, Indian Spices, Lamb Kebabs, Lamb Section, Lentils, Lettuce, Light Meals, Succulent Chicken, Yoghurt Comments Off
