TV Chef and restaurateur Marut Sikka’s new restaurant overwhelms you with diverse spice flavours… in a single portion!

In Persian, it means an emperor’s private dining chamber, one used on rare occasions when the royal was not breaking bread with ministers and favourites. And Kainoosh does manage to convey an air of super exclusivity — despite being located in a mall and despite serving up Indian khana to a primarily Indian audience (as yet). But then, consultant, TV chef and restaurateur Marut Sikka’s latest venture does dish out stylised portions that are more likely to remind you of an evening spent pecking at dainty tapas rather than gorging on Pandara Road portions.

But first, the look: Is it the touch of Sikka’s fashion designer wife that we see reflected in the ambience? It may not be wrong to conjecture as much. A mural by the otherwise reticent fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh, known more for his bandhgalas than restaurant interiors, occupies pride of place. The roof shows off dull gold foil, which I’ve always thought of as being a nouveau fad in Delhi’s papaji-land. But, it perhaps reinforces the ethnic in this otherwise contemporary space. However, the most striking touch comes by way of stone jaalis, hung out like curtains, that form the perfect, understated backdrop to this “modern Indian restaurant”. They will remind you rather of The Aman New Delhi, once again a space that’s both chic and contemporary and “Indian” at once. On the other hand, millions have been wasted by those with more money than sense on doing up restaurant interiors rather than focus on that one essential: good food. Luckily, that poses no problem for Sikka. Like his cook book and much of his cooking (not necessarily on the idiot box), the dishes are bursting with diverse flavours—often unexpected. So, don’t go looking for merely the perfect mahi (fish) tikka with an Amritsari marinade. Here, tandoored pomfret may come dressed up in Bengali kashundi, Punjabi ajwain and a third portion smeared in Goan balchao. A produce of the western waters laced with flavourings from the east, north and south each. Here is united India — on a platter!

The premise is simple. Almost like a tapas meal, you are encouraged to order as many small portions of appetizers as you can tuck in. Each portion comes in the form of a “trio” — of prawn, fish, lamb or paneer — comprising just three pieces. And each of these pieces is imbued with a different flavour. I can only imagine the headache this kind of plating must be causing the kitchen staff. Nevertheless, we succeeded in going through almost the entire menu (between three of us), helped along by some innovative cocktails — from a gulukand or pomegranate laced one (too sweet) to the bubblegum martini (refreshing).

On my must try list: The roti-wrapped roasted chicken with apricot chilli masala, actually comes covered in a crispy taftan-like bread and is an interesting take on the way a tandoori raan (whole leg of lamb) may be famously done elsewhere (Bukhara). Lamb spare ribs stewed in milk are a take on the Kashmiri tabak maaz (the only instance in Indian cuisine where spare ribs are used) but are much more tender and flavourful (they are chargrilled and infused with a green chilli masala!). But being a closet vegetarian, what I will come back for are the jumbo morels, stuffed with roasted almonds and pomegranate. That was the dish of the day for me. If you insist on a main course, there is a bespoke thali where you can customize your meal (choose six vegetarian or non-vegetarian options). Sikka’s trademark has always been his extensive use of diverse spices and the curries come infused with the goodness of cardamom, coriander, mace, saffron et al. You can’t fault any preparation. The service is gleaming silver. Yet, after the high of the “appetisers”, the thali is somewhat of a dip. If you are in a hurry, settle for one. But it’s really the Indian “tapas” that make the finest cut.

Anoothi’s Ratings

Ambience: 4

Food: 4.5

Service: 4

(Out of five)

Kainoosh

DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj Tel: 9560715544/33

Meal for two (avg): Rs 2,400

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

North, South, East, West: India on a platter

Punjab Grill by Jiggs Kalra is the best venture yet by the grand old man of north Indian cuisines

By Anoothi Vishal

 For years, Jiggs Kalra’s grouse—and joke—with me use d to be “Anoothi, kyon roothi?”. (“Anoothi, why are you upset with me?). It started of after I wrote a piece that he didn’t quite agree with and continued because of the irrestible (for him!) rhyme and also because I would not be seen at most of the usual restaurant launches or festivals, spending my time, instead, cooped up at work, trying to bring out the pages… That, of course, is another story.

Last week, however, many months after it opened up, I finally had a meal with Jiggs and his son Zorawar at Punjab Grill, a chain venture spearheaded by Zorawar that showcases some of Jiggs best research and innovation. Here’s the review:

 If you are in Delhi, and in need of some soul-warming, hearty northern fare, there can be no better place than Punjab Grill, sitting right atop Select Citywalk in Saket. A brain child of Jiggs Kalra, the grand old man of well-researched restaurant food in India, the place (as also its sister establishments in Gurgaon and, lately, Mumbai) has Zorawar, Jiggs entreprenueral son at its helm. And what a lovely venture it has turned out to be.

 Make sure that you find a place on the terrace, open on just one side, with gentle sunlight streaming in during the mild Delhi days of this season. Once you are comfortably ensconsed, the spectacle unfolds with a waiter placing a small peppermint-like pellet in a bowl in front of you. As he pours water from a jug in that bowl, this “pellet” will grow before your startled eyes—well, into a disposable napkin to use and throw before the meal begins. No clumsy ablutions here. There is enough showmanship to keep you hooked. Amuse bouche is by way of a cheese-filled cracker, presented in a shot glass with a garlicky chutney to go with it. It’s a fine beginning.

 During is long and often tumultuous career, Jiggs, of course, has been associated with some of the biggest brands in Indian culinary lore—right from Bukhara and Dumpukht. As a researcher into the country’s most elusive regional cuisines, he claims credit for having brought the likes of Avadh’s fabulous galawat ke kebab and even the Punjabi staple Dal Makhani (a la Bukhara) into the mainstream. But his finest achievement is undoubtedly by way of unearthing the legendary creations of Amritsar and Patiala (and the rest of Punjab, including the part that is now in Pakistan) and putting them on five-star menus. His recipes for the likes of bhatti ka murg, Meat Beliram and so forth bear testimony to the fact. At Punjab Grill, you get to sample most of these — albeit in refined or quirky avatars and under different names.

 We begin with a superb salmon tikka, now famous the world over, but ostensibly first developed by Kalra. Done like Amritsari fish, this comes without the strong flavours of ajwain. Instead, the seasoning is delicate, preserving the taste of the fish. Dahi ke kebab are a must for the vegetarians oozing with delicately flavoured yoghurt. The Raunaki kebabs are seeks topped with a seasoning of fresh green coriander, onions and (in season, even mint) with a layer of cream smeared on top. The bhatti ka murg , charcoal grilled, is tender and tangy, done to perfection, and quite the masterpiece. And even other staples of Punjabi restaurant food – paneer makhani in a fine tomato and cream gravy assume sophistication in their execution with the gravy having been strained multiple times to achieve the creamy consistency of its texture. But what you will certainly marvel at is the gucchi pulao—with pricier-than-gold morels in it—where each grain of rice is imbued with flavour. Above all, for a quintessentially Punjabi restaurant, the mild level of chillies may surprise you. Yet, each dish has its own flavour doing away with the myth that Indian food is “hot”. Finally, paan is served in a unique way too—in a liquidized form, in a shot glass! Spitting entirely not necessary.

 As a veteran of many five star festivals, Jiggs, even now, dreams about piping his favourite chevee into skewered chicken tikkas. For all those flavours and more, do visit this one. This is Jiggs’ best yet.

Punjab Grill

2^nd Floor, Select CityWalk, Saket, New Delhi

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

The best of Punjab

Here’s my pick in an otherwise most unromantic city. Mail me if you need help setting up something special at a restaurant in Delhi for your date…

Having refused a trip to Khajurao, the land of Kamasutra, this Valentine’s weekend and not having found reservation at my favourite weekend getaway around Delhi, the Westin resort in Sohna (it’s all booked for a V-Day wedding), I am resigned to stay put at home on the weekend. Ashwin has been asking whether we want to check into a city hotel (with baby in tow), not as much for a romantic getaway as to get away from the rigours of Delhi living but, really, apart from the fact that you can have the luxury of housekeeping done for you and a mega breakfast to look forward to—where is the charm? This is a common feature of some city hotels. However, luxury hotels in Dehli are on offer to provide some real luxuries.

In the meanwhile, I have been drawing up my own list of splurge-worthy restaurants to visit on Feb 14. Whether we make it to any of these remains to be seen. Do we really want to jostle with eager diamond-dripping aunties and starry eyed college fashionistas at crowded places will require some soul searching. On the other hand, should you be searching for an appropriate venue for your date in this rather unromantic city, here are my suggestions:

Sevilla: It has the most romantic ambience in the city with twinkling lights, al fresco seating, live wood-fired pizza oven, a well-stocked bar and some great Spanish (and Italian) food.

Where: Hotel Claridges, Aurangzeb Road, Tel: 23010211

Meal for two (with wine): Rs 6,000 approx

Olive: Mehrauli, the old medieval capital with the Qutab for a sign post and quaint havelis strewn around, is one of the quaintest parts of Delhi. And Olive, situated in an old haveli in white with a lovely tree in the central courtyard captures that charm and romance well. Once again, twinkling lights set on the table and some superb food by Chef Saby will get you in the mood.
Where: Olive, One Style Mile, Mehrauli, Tel: 26642552

Thai High: In the same Mehrauli vicinity is this delicious Thai restaurant. In its earlier avatar Thai Wok, it used to be particularly romantic with a direct view of the Qutab.
Where: Ambawatta complex, Mehrauli. Tel: 26644289

Magique: I am partial to al fresco ambience. Who wouldn’t be in spring in Delhi. This is just the right time for the magical setting of the Garden of Five Senses and food crafted by Marut Sikka.
Where: Garden of Five Senses, near Saket. Tel: 2953676

The funniest promotion that I have come across is at Smoke House Grill (Masjid Moth, GK II), otherwise quite a lovely and stylish place. Two special cocktails manufactured for the occasion include

“Dual Orgasm”

(fresh mandarin, rosemary)

and

Menange O’trois

(Coriander, ginger, hendricks, cucumber)

Price: Rs 350-550 per drink

What will you choose?

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

Most romantic dinners– for Valentine’s Day

Purana Villa promises to serve heritage cuisines from all over the country. Do you really get these?

 Frankly, I had no plans of writing a review for this one. After all, what can you say about what essentially is—or should be—strictly a “neighbourhood Indian restaurant”? Unless, it is superlative, of course, which is when one can safely claim to have made a “discovery”. Alas, no siuch claim for me. Purana Villa, the new restaurant in Jor Bagh market, is yet another case of marketing overriding quality. And the reason that I am now putting up a review here is because What’s Hot, the Times of India pull-out, carried a gushing piece on this place today. Anyone going with blinkers on thanks to that deserves a word of warning.

 The most interesting part about the restaurant is that the owners are Free Masons and have invited me over to witness some of their (not-so-secret ceremonies anymore) at their respective Masonic lodges. I am yet to take up that offer. But as far as food goes, despite the affability of the owners—one was an Army caterer of sorts — there can be no denying the fact that this is mostly your regular Indian, Punjabi khana. The spin doctors call it “old recipes” that have been painstakingly researched and collected from all over the country. Even the name of the restaurant—supposedly arising from old homes of the district collectors during the Raj—suggests that. But probe a little and you’ll realize how little substance there is to any claim of this showcasing “heritage cuisines“.

 A special quail menu was on offer when I visited the restaurant (and as did the What’s Hot team) but while, you may want to sample that, there’s nothing heritage about “tandoori quail”. Thankfully, old recipes of stuffed or dum bater have not even been attempted by the novice kitchen hands, who serve you extra onion-garlic-tomatoe encrusted seekh kebab in the name of a gilafi kebabs (which, as the name suggests, should have a “gilaf” or “pillow cover” of egg covering the seekhs). Much of the menu includes the same old mahi (fish) tikkas, and dishes prefixed with Malabari or Nilgiri tags with a smattering of coconut in their masalas to prove south-Indian origins. There’s even a Nilgiri tangri kebab (!), whose provenance is obviously not explained. And when questioned closely as to the “research” undertaken, the owner, rather cagely, blurts out the name of “that recent book”—by which I infer, Salma Husain’s “Cuisine of the Mughals”. The sole contribution even of this recent tome is by way of a lamb soup (with rice in it; in which the quantity of rice has been lessened to make it more palatable).

 Spice levels are low. And in some cases, the servings totally bland, which leads you to conclude that the target audience is meant to be that ignoramus foreign traveler or expat who frequents these parts. The owner refutes this. He points out that even his wife now serves him less spicy and less fatty meals at home – which I suppose is fair enough, if the rest of us who like our dose of masala and solid Indian meals don’t have to be subjected to the same dietary codes.

 The high point of the meal is the dal. (Not called Makhani, but Shahjahani or Sultanpuri or something else, which I forget.) The owner takes pride in the fact that this rivals, even surpasses the fabled Dal Bukhara—which is not a tough thing to do, at all. I is certainly quite flavourful here. It’s an old family recipe where more dal, less cream or tomatoe puree have been added, we are told. That’s really as far as this “historic” research goes.

Sorry, Team What’s Hot, but this is not a “fine Indian trail”, at all.

 Purana Villa

Jorbagh Market

Price: Under Rs 1,300 for two

Ratings:

Food: 2.5 (on 5)

Service: 3 (on 5)

Ambience: 2.5 (on 5)

Must Avoid: The gimmicky promise. Treat it like your average neighbourhood eatery and you’ll come back more satisfied!

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

Nilgiri tangri kebab and “old Indian recipes”

Erstwhile Thai Wok partners slug it out with two Thai restaurants in one month, in the same neighbourhood. As Thai High restarts at Ambawatta, we check out challenger Emperor’s Kitchen

The restaurant launched with a quintessential Delhi society party in December. “We have just received confirmation from the Chief Minister herself,” a breathless PR type had purred into the phone expecting, no doubt, to have me jump up in glee and rush to the event. I have my doubts as to whether high wattage launches can make any restaurant. In my experience, the best ones often creep up on the cityscape unexpectedly; are driven by owners’ passion rather than PR hype; and manage to generate buzz solely through word-of-mouth recommendations rather than Page Three pictures. And above all, these places serve solid, genuine food at prices that don’t make you feel cheated. In short, I was prepared to hate a place rather pretentiously named Emperor’s Kitchen that seemed as if it wanted to be a lounge/party space for just the 200 people who make up fashionable society in Delhi (“socialistas” is the latest word these people like to hear of themselves).

Sometimes, you can be sooooo wrong, opinionated and biased…

That’s the lesson I learnt when I accompanied my husband to the restaurant finally one cold, foggy night (he had been invited for a review for the travel and leisure magazine he edits).

But before we go into my experience; here’s some history! Those of you who remember the rooftop restaurant Thai Wok at Ambawatta, with one of the best views of the Qutab Minar in the city, will remember Natasha Chaudhuri, one of the three young girls who had joined hands to open up the restaurant. While Payal Jauhar was the hands on person, driving much of the food (quiet delicious, by the way) and promotions, Natasha and the other partner Shilpa Gupta were also frequently spotted, at least partying with the fashion crowd that came in regularly. After the success of their Delhi restaurant, the trio then moved to Goa and Mumbai with other ventures — before falling out. Buzz has it that one of their outlets was busted during a party where some of the patrons were caught doping. And police in India being what it is, Jauhar, who ran the place, had to ostensibly go into hiding, work for several years to pay off the cops. The place, needless to say shut down and the partners parted ways. Just to make it clear, this is just society gossip so please don’t take it for a brilliant piece of investigative journalism!

Now, in a delicious turn of events, Jauhar has gone on to reopen her old restaurant (at the same venue) and Ambawatta, under a slightly modified name: Thai High. While Chaudhuri and Gupta, within the space of a month, have opened another (Thai) restaurant in the neighbourhood: Emperor’s Kitchen. Ladies, the battle’s on!

To give it its due, Emperor’s Kitchen is a beautiful place. Set in a haveli (rented) in the picturesque Qutab neighbourhood, the ambience may remind you of another of its famous neighbours in white, Olive. There is an al fresco bar area that can double up as a party space during pleasanter climes no doubt; another more private area on the terrace for similar use, while the fine dining restaurant is located inside— glass walls. The staff is pleasant and courteous and as we arrive, freezing, promptly place a big gas heater right next to us. The rest of the evening is spent is warm comfort.

Despite the huge popularity of Thailand as a holiday destination amongst middle and upper class Indians, Thai cuisine per se is strangely missing from our menus while eating out. Chinese and Indian-Chinese continues to be a money spinner and, of course, these restaurants plus others serving more authentic pan-Asian food will serve you standard satays and curries, but an exclusively Thai menu is still a rarity in Delhi—and possibly other metros. Emperor’s Kitchen seeks to fill that slot—though it does serve bits of Chinese food as we know it (amongst other things, I order soul-warming sweet corn soup). Do not miss the crispy vegetable salad—one of the most popular dishes at the old Thai Wok that makes a reappearance here—which is batter fried vegetables with a light seasoning of sweet and sour sauce. We also ordered the excellent crispy spring rolls, some prawns, and dim sums—which is really the kind of comfort food that any Indian family seeks while eating out; whether at a plush place or the neighbourhood restaurant. The difference here was in the quality of preparation—we couldn’t fault anything.

The main course was more “Thai” as we ordered not just regular curry (duck in red curry) and pad thai but also an excellent dish of chicken and pineapple that came in half a scooped out pineapple. Then, there was this coconutty medley—specially created by the chef—that used eggs, red curry paste and coconut milk to create a unique sauce. The dish is presented inside a coconut and may remind you of the delicious Bengali dish Daab Chingri where shrimps are similarly (but lightly) steamed inside a coconut (with a mustard seasoning). We also tried the “blue prawns”, jumbo sized, the most expensive dish on the menu at about Rs 1100. The food is excellent.

But the best bit about Emperor’s Kitchen is the fact that despite its unfortunate choice of name, you don’t really pay royal prices for your meal. We, of course, didn’t have to pay at all—alas, most magazine or newspaper managements in India still don’t take food reviews seriously enough and don’t have budgets where writers can go undercover and pay for their own meals; so the more honest ones amongst our tribe have learnt not to squirm while dishing out poor ratings if a place so deserves it; regardless of free hospitality – but from what I saw of the menu; most of the starters were in the Rs 200-400 bracket, per dish, which is standard even in places where the food quality may be vastly inferior. All in all, do go to Emperor’s Kitchen. No, it’s not a lounge, or a party place, as you may have believed (as I did) but a serious restaurant.
Ratings
Food: 4 (on 5)
Service: 4
Ambience: 4
Must Have: Crispy vegetable salad

Emperor’s Kitchen, One Qutab, Mehrauli
Ph No: 011-26642600/01

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

Thai wars: Curry for “socialistas”… and aam admi

What is the cuisine of Tahiti? We go hoping to sample some Tiki culture only to find it obscured by food consultancy in India!

We’ll have to agree that Jolly Rogers is a rather stupid name for a restaurant to have: I mean, if someone asks you, ‘where are you going to eat out this evening?’ how would “Jolly Rogers” sound? It apparently borrows from the name of the mythic pirate ship traversing the Pacific between the isles that make up the French Polynesia (for those who are unaware of its existence, Tahiti is a simpler introduction though there are other islands too between Australia and South America with a colonial French past…). And it is a rum brand. But as a restaurant name, it leads much to be desired.

Yet, I was excited about Jolly Rogers opening up in Gurgaon—one of the most un-beachy towns that you could pick upon in India but equipped with prodigious spending power of its DINK couples. Last year, when I had called food consultant Manu Mohindra, who does a huge amount of restaurant openings all over the country every quarter, he had told me that Tiki bars are going to be a trend to watch out for. Obviously. He must have been busy putting Jolly Rogers into place, which is a restaurant and Tiki bar rolled into one.
On a cold, foggy Monday evening, we drive into Jolly Rogers. The first feel is that of an interesting enough—though soulless sort of place. Huge Tiki masks and white cabanas complete the look and our group of three first decide to settle into one of the cabanas—which looks out of place inside a concrete and glass building, but what the heck? A couple of minutes and some requests to the staff to turn up the heating later, we decide that this is going to be really cold here and so we decide to move into the dining sections where tiny candle lights on each table promise warmer climes! Despite the lights, cheapie looking print-outs of a girl ostensibly having fun at the bar put me off the décor here completely. Did the people-with-more-money and-less sense who own the restaurant actually pay for this?

The food: That’s what I am here for. To check the restaurant out for a story on “unusual restaurants” that will go into a magazine I consult with. We select our cocktails —with lots of pineapple, coconut and rum in various combos which are decent; choose our soups—for me a vegetarian peanut option; for my cousin, chicken chowder, because, you see, he still suffers from his all-American hangover—which are good and get on to the business of selecting our bites.

The platter of vegetables and shrimp fritters has been recommended so I am inclined to order this as well as crab cakes. But at this point the chef makes an appearance, tells us that the cakes are not available (though crabs for main course apparently are) and offers to feed us what he will. We are game. Out come a couple of salads that will possibly go down as the worst I have had in recent memory. They remind me of shadi menus and of the eighties when going to a five star coffee shop in Delhi and ordering mayo-laden veggies was a big deal. Pray, why should a contemporary place in circa 2010 have the likes of waldrof salad on its menu. There is a grilled chicken option too—but whatever calories you may have hoped to save on the fowl will be fouled up by excessive dressing should you opt for this. There is also a chef’s special “with raw salmon” in it as the chef announces with pride, expecting us no doubt to pale at such culinary sophistication!

To his credit the chef sends us out a whole host of starters—including the fritters mentioned above, some stir-fried chicken with bell peppers (fafa) that reminds all of us of chilly chicken at our neighbourhood restaurant, delicious meat balls in Thai red curry paste, some potato and cheese rolls that we do (out of a packet) when guests come home and crispy potatoes with sea salt that are thinner than what you get at McDeez and certainly crisp. When the waiter comes bearing these, the chef who is standing at our table, takes one look, dips his hand into our platter (!), announces that there is no sea salt on these and sends back the platter. Minutes later, the same platter arrives, now garnished with sea salt. Will we bite? No………..
“So how did you like it?” asks the chef, puffed up with pride. It’s a habit that I find most irritating in some chefs. If you are eating at their restaurants, what are you supposed to say, if you don’t want to be poisoned in the next course or your food spat into? We try to be diplomatic and tell the chef how we thought there was too much dressing in the salads (that really cheeses him off) and then try to draw out the chef into explaining his handiwork here. So, I point to whatever catches my eye on the menu and I ask: “Er… wasabi-influenced XYZ, so there are Japanese influences… and er.. Kung Pao chicken legs… China too…”
What follows is some spiel of which the only two words I remember are “oceanic influences”. Basically, the chef explains that French Polynesian cuisine has not just French influences but also Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Spanish and, well, Mediterranean! The only evidence we see of each of these is in the overabundance of Thai curry pastes, five spice powder and so forth.

The restaurant allows you to skewer your own meats and grill these in a portable BBQ brought to your table and thus we do some satisfying satay-with-another-Polynesian name. I like the main course—sliced, glazed ham accompanied by a thin pineapple sauce and a khichdi of soy rice (with some bits of prawns) that is rather akin to a dish of nasi goring. But is it really “French Polynesian”?

Anoothi’s Ratings
Food: 1 ((out of 5)
Service: 1
Ambience: 2

Jolly Rogers
Address: 1002, 10th Floor, Time Tower, MG Road, Gurgaon
Phone No: 0124-4333555
Seating: Total – 210
Inside: 100 covers: 45 for dining and 55 for bar lounge
Terrace: 110, which includes gazebo, verandah and deck seating
Timings: Noon to 2:00 am
Liquor: Available
Credit Cards: All major credit cards accepted
Website: www.jollyrogersbar.in
Average meal for two: Rs. 1,350 plus taxes (exclusive of alcohol)

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

The French Ploynesian sleight of hand

Delhi’s preparation for the Commonwealth Games may be sorely behind schedule but some projects have got completed. The sprawling, government-owned Ashoka Hotel, occupying prime real estate in Chanakyapuri, was scheduled to get a makeover from its smelly, dingy ways to designer-fitted look and some designers had already been booked to do up each of the rooms. We don’t know what is happening on that front. But we do know how the Presidential Suite will look like. La Sorogeeka, a design company founded by an enterprising Anjali Goel, has done the suite. Let us know whether you like it— or not! And who do you think will be put up here during the Commonwealth Games in October (certainly not the athletes). For luxury hotel deals in Asia, visit Travel Intelligence.

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

Get, Set, Games: Sneak peek into prez suite at Ashoka Hotel

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 kitchen for almost two decades. No mean feet, I say. Having had some really terrible paya in old Delhi— notwithstanding nostalgia, few eateries around Jama Masjid are quite the same; most now dish out chalu versions of old recipes—and not being terribly keen on trotters, I didn’t know what to say but being a polite foodie, felt that something was required to be said. So as we hugged adieu, I told uncle in typical Dilliwalla (insincere) fashion that he must call me over to sample his paya recipe one day.

One day turned out to be the next day with the entire family having been called over and some Europeanised members (such as the husband) wondering whether it was indeed paya or paella that the uncle meant to go down with a fine glass of red wine! Since I had suggested kulchas as convenient breads to go with the stew instead of the traditional khameeri roti or fermented wheat bread, the poor man’s breakfast on cold wintery mornings of Shahjahanabad, I was pretty sure about what we were about to get. Nevertheless, if others wanted to bet, who was I to disagree?

Of course, I was right. (When am I not?). After listening to some Indian classical music incomprehensible to philistine members of the family, gaping at an Amrita Sher-gil, recently acquired by uncle, and indulging in some jurno gossip (what? All the scandals one heard about and dismissed as exaggerations were true!), it was out turn to fuss over the big event that night. Chandra came in bearing a tray with a bowl of paya— and many accompaniments in smaller bowls all around it that reminded all of us, rather incongruously, of khao suey.

As it turned out, uncle, has hit upon a winning formula for serving this up at home.

First the accompaniments: Silvery strands of ginger, green chillies with a bite, finely chopped, generous wedges of lemon, raw onions, cut…

The service: Each person was supposed to add whatever they liked to the stew. I recommend a huge pinch of ginger and green chillies and a few drops of lemon juice can work wonders too.

The paya: Unlike the original dish which is simmered overnight in huge pots (so that the gelatine from the bones seeps out…), this homemade version took just 4 whistles of the pressure cooker! Uncle added not just the bony bits but also some meaty ones which made the dish much more acceptable as a party piece. And, of course, he followed my suggestion of teaming it up with kulchas, easily available at Defence Bakery in the neighbourhood.

No tar on top: The thing about eating in old Delhi is that they will top your paya (or nihari) with a layer of fat floating on top. For the modern stomach (and waist), that is hardly appetizing. Uncle’s version uses minimal oil and basic seasoning with whole garam masala. Period.

So, what about paella, you may ask? Since I won the bet, it was only fitting that the next night, we go out for some genuine paella. And the best place for it is undoubtedly Sevilla at the Claridges. Better than the stuff in Spain. It comes in a big wok-like dish and is browned on top which makes all the difference.

Finally, omlettes: Uncle is researching on omlettes, he says. And there are more than 70 varieties recorded in tomes, primarily French (because they were the first anyway to jot down all those recipes and cooking methods). Omlettes didn’t seem to have journeyed from one particular country to the other, says uncle (though others contend that it may have originated in the middle-east). Instead, it is uncle’s contention that they came up at different places at different times because of the versatility of eggs as an ingredient. But apart from those made from ostrich eggs and others with lobster in them, baked Italian frittatas and Spanish tortillas and the magnificent fluffy omlettes, folded but not cooked on the other side, revered in cooking lore, what I find interesting are middle-eastern omlettes. These are called kokoo in Iran and include even such vegetables as chopped cauliflower!

My best omlette: My nani used to do one with green chillies and onions, using aslee ghee, in Bareilly. But even uncle agrees that what we had from the erstwhile Express dhaba on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi’s Fleet Street, was probably the most memorable. And, oh! Mughlai paranthas at the Clarks in Lucknow, which is omlettes spread over paranthas.

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

Paya, paella and some omlette talk

Mixology at LAP Garden

By Anoothi Vishal

Molecular gastronomy may be a trend on the wane in the dining citadels of the West. But in Asia, the craze for Ferran Adriaesque attempts is hardly dying. In fact, in India, it is just beginning to come into its own with places such as Aurus in Mumbai, Olive in New Delhi, and Caperberry in Bangalore doing their bit to have bits of watermelon caviar or “cappuccino” of mushroom on their menus.

Last night, I went to LAP Garden, the al fresco restaurant attached to Arjun Rampal’s super exclusive club at Hotel Samrat, to get a feel of another fledgling effort at playing around with “the chemistry of food”. Aftab, an erstwhile partner at Shalom, who now looks after the restaurant, set the tone for the evening by handing out his special “foamy” martinis. Mine was a lime one with a strawberry foam on it. The foam (a little cream is used to constitute it since just fruit puree on its own can’t fluff up with air) was thick and didn’t dissolve at all into the drink. It can be premade, I was told, and is thus apt for a busy evening at the bar — that is if paying patrons don’t mind paying the same (or more) for a cocktail that shows off molecular mixology but definitely has less alcohol in the glass what with the foam taking up about 30 per cent of the volume! I felt that it could have been a little thinner on top to be more visually effective. As it is, it rather reminded me of those innocent pink icecreams with a cherry on top served in tall glasses in five star coffee shops of the 1980s.

Aftab also served us some green apple caviar pearls in a shot glass (swimming in vodka) but what I found most effective was the Bloody Mary presented as slices of jell-o, complete with a garnish of a celery stick. It came alongside our dessert and we quite enjoyed eating it alongside a champagne curd—even if the end result was a little tipsy.

The food also plays around with molecular gastronomy. And the chef presented us with a special dish that he had done just for us (becase we had warned him in advance of our experiment with gastronomy) – risotto papads sandwiching ratatouille. It was an interesting play of textures. But to my mind, the dish you should try out if you go to Lap Garden (it is on their regular menu) is basa (a Vietnamese fish with no distinctive flavour) topped with a foam of pernod. It was so subtle that you could actually taste the pernod. A fine and understated attempt. While Adria himself may be opening up a pizzeria next serving “real” food for a change, may be you—bred on hearty butter chicken—should try this out.

 The secret: DIY molecular gastronomy in India. Basically all one needs is to buy a kit manufactured by Ferran Adria and his brother (imported by Chenab Impex, Bangalore-based importers). A set of five 100 ml bottles of “chemicals” (including natural substances such as agar), a syringe, a CD in Spanish with demos, and other bric-a-brac is what makes up the kit. It costs Rs 1500. Doable? 

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

Last night I ate a Bloody Mary…

A European foodie and our own food critic compare notes

Yesterday I went to a lovely brunch at a farmhouse in Delhi courtesy my work as a journalist and met an interesting and opinionated Italian lady with very definite recommendations on dining in New Delhi. VaA European foodie and our own food critic compare notes By Anoothi Vishal Yesterday I went to a lovely brunch at a farmhouse in Delhi courtesy my work as a journalist and met an interesting and opinionated Italian lady with very definite recommendations on dining in New Delhi. Valeria Corvo from Milan has been in India for more than a decade so I don’t count her as a “tourist” visiting India. Instead, she has perhaps tarvelled more in the country and discovered it in ways that a lot of Indians don’t. Valeria makes handbags and accessories in India and supplies them to Italian fashion majors, Prada and the like—and she hates going to any of the shiny new malls that have come up in the big (and small) cities in the last two years. So a lot of her recommendations are based on dining in standalone restaurants in markets and localities preferred by the expat population in New Delhi (Khan Market, Vasant Kunj, Sundar Nagar et al) and five star hotels (Imperial, Oberoi) that match up to “European expectations”, at leats of a certain class. Any way, for those of you who may be interested, here it goes:

Best Sushi: Predicatably enough, Valeria loves sushi at the Oberoi Threesixty where chef Augustino knows her and thus shower her with personal attention. “I had been with a girl friend to New York recently and we visited all the sushi restaurants there, of all kinds. And Three Sixty is better than even Nobu,” is what she says.

Anoothi’s reco: Three Sixty is great. But try Ai at MGF Mall in Saket which does contemporary Japanese. Amongst its innovations is sushi with sticky black (!) rice that is not imported from Japan but grown in north-east India in the tribal belt of Garo and Khasi hills. Three cheers for the local and the organic.

Best dim sums: According to Valeria, these are to be found at Nanking (in Vasant Kunj). Taipan, at the Oberoi, is famed for its dim sum lunches. But Valeria said that she found these too “Indian” and had to send them back. She also says that she fell really ill after eating at 19, Oriental Avenue, the restaurant at Shangri-la.

Anoothi’s reco: Yum Yum Tree in New Friends Colony has excellent and very value-for-money dim sum lunches where you can order unlimited portions with a soup, starter and dessert for just Rs 500. Jade, at Clardidges on Aurangzeb Road, is also a favourite. But above all, for Chinese, China Kitchen at the Hyatt is the best Chinese restaurant you can visit in India.

Best Italian: Now here is something you should really pay heed to. Best Italian in New Delhi recommended by an Italian from Milan. According to her, Baci at Sunder Nagar and Amici, a café at Khan Market that does nice thin-crust pizzas, both are “how we would eat for lunch in Italy”. Ritu Dalmia of Diva does very good “classical and nouvelle” (and I thought such distinctions were only French, a much more complicated cuisine) Italian but “not how we eat at home”. The hyped La Piazza at the Hyatt is “very average”.

Anoothi’s reco: ItALIA at the DLF mall in Vasant Kunj serves better thin crust pizzas than what I had in Italy!

Italia: Address-309/310, II FloorDLF Promenade Mall Telephone No-4311 1777,fax-4311 1778 Email Id-italia.del@theparkhotels.com

Baci: 23, Sundar Nagar, New Delhi, Tel: 011-41507445.

Yum Yum Tree: First Floor, Friends Colony Community Centre (Opposite Nathu Sweets), New Delhi, Delhi 110065 Tel: 011 4260 2020 www.theyumyumtree.in

Nanking: Plot C-6, Opp. Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj.  www.indianfoodforever.com/…/nanking-chinese-restaurant-delhi.html

Ai: Second floor, MGF Metropolitan Mall, District Center, Saket, New Delhi – 17 Tel phone: 9810263567 / 9871981357 / 011-40564567

Three Sixty: www.oberoihotels.com

The Oberoi, Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg, Opp Delhi Golf Course Lal Bahadur Shastri Road, Lodi Estate, New Delhi, New Delhi 011 24363030

Copyright 2009 India - Food & Travel Guide

Best Sushi, dim sums, and pizzas in New Delhi