Food Trail In Mahableshwar

The heat in Mumbai had become unbearable during the month of May, going to a hill station seemed a better idea. My friends and I decided to go out of Mumbai for a long weekend.

Early Friday morning, we took a road trip, 275 kilometers away from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar. It was six hours drive. We wanted to have typical Maharastrian food during this trip. On friend’s recommendation, we stopped at Kailash on Pune-Mumbai express way. This restaurant served only platter (thali), special and normal Thali the only difference being that in choice of vegetables.

The food at Kailash was disappointing, it didn’t taste that authentic Maharastrian meal. We were expecting usual, peanut based veggie and a spicy meal but the food was quite bland. There was no sweet dish.

During our stay, dieting was of least importance and eating was our full time pass time. Whereever we walked down the path, the streets were filled with hawkers and who could resist that? Munching on everything was so enjoyable

 There is different kind of charm at hill stations in India. Colorful and fresh fruits line the market streets. Munching on berries and fruits while walking down the streets is a fun…every stall we pass, we are tempted to buy and eat, sometimes even without washing the fruit….it tastes so good….During our walk to market street, we stopped to eat at every stall

We got tempted to eat black Jamun

Roasted corn coated with salt, red pepper and lime

Raspberry and assorted berries

The next day we went sightseeing, but food was always on our mind. The air smelts of fruits and roasted corn. Mango cucumber carrot salad looked so tempting

Carrot n cucumber

Strawberries and white apples

Carrots and strawberries...

You would think that munching all day would be enough. But no, we still were hungry and visited few restaurants to have proper meals too.

We were staying in a private bungalow on the outskirts of the city and we were lucky to be surrounded by good restaurants. We visited Baghicha twice for breakfast.  It had quite a spacious dining hall with colorful nursery occupying one corner of the restaurant.  The walls were decorated with large pin ups of all the film stars and celebrity who had dined in this restaurant. The food is freshly prepared, the order took long time to come, but it was worth the wait. The potato parathas were cooked to perfection, steaming hot, it melted at the first bite and spicy too. We went back for breakfast the next day too and ordered the same breakfast of potato parathas, pohas, sabudhana khichidi, upma and corn cutlets. Tea would pair beautifully with this  breakfast but sadly, they don’t serve tea or coffee, there were soft drinks and fruity milk shakes.

My friends were keen on having Maharastrian food. It was raining heavily and it was so misty that we could not see anything beyond few meters. It was decided that two of them would go and bring food for all of us. But when they stopped by Hirkani, there were hot bakhadi roti and food that looked so appetizing.  They called us to come to the restaurant to enjoy the freshly cooked food. I am glad we went because I really enjoyed the lunch. Although the restaurant serves Thali  to majority of its clients, we decided to order a la carte. It was the most enjoyable meal I had.  We ordered corn vegetables, potato bhaji, brinjals, puri and ussal, all vegetarian meal, so delicious that I didn’t miss non-veg.

Someone suggested that Jaffar at Panchandi  famous for its Briyanis, so we decided to go for lunch the next day. The décor was good, it was surrounded with beautiful landscape. It was crowded too and we had to wait for about fifteen minutes to get a seat. The restaurant serves mainly Biryani, I was surprised to learn that there was no pillaf. However, the biryani was quite disappointing. In veg biryani there were hardly any veggies. Food was bland and we were served a glass of fresh green chilies. Two of my friends reported sick after the meals. I would have preferred a way side dhabba that serves better food.

On our return back to Mumbai, we stopped by Shri Dutta, famous for his Batatawadas at Pen.

 Everybody who passes by this road of Raighad district has to stop by Dutta for battawadas. Friend said I must try it and we relished it on our way back home…..

Online Food Service- InstaKhaana

Tiffin service in Mumbai gets more interesting each day.

 On the days when I am too lazy, I order meals from the women who work from home. I have tried many tiffin services but its something I cannot continue to have all days, seven days a week. I bore easily and somehow I prefer my own cooking. But I have tried many dhabba services and forwarded their contact to my friends too. Parsi cuisine, Gujarati cuisine, then there are Goan, some western too. The latest one I tried was from a Sindhi lady in Bandra who delivered food suitable to my taste buds. A full meal with lentils, two vegetables, a cup of boiled rice and four chappatis, all this for mere Rs150. But after two weeks I was bored again and back to my own cooking of simple lunch of just one dish(veg or non-veg) and two chappattis and evening meal of just soup and sandwiches.

But for those who have no time to cook, tiffin service is the best option. There is yet another one in the block, this time online delivery service.

This one is called ‘InstaKhaana’ I was asked to review their services and their food.

The food arrived in a cute delivery car that attracted my neighbors too.

The food was neatly packed in plastic containers with a plastic packet of spoon fork, salt and pepper (like they do in airlines) Two boxes arrived in pretty cloth bags.

Pan fried fish with garlic sauce was melt in the mouth, boneless fish, a pure delight. It is perfect for light diners and it paired well with garlic bread.

Corn rice with butter vegetables and lentil cutlets is suitable for heavy meal. The long grain, corn rice was cooked to perfection. I am not too fond of sweetness in the food, hence didn’t like butter vegetables although the stew was good with assorted exotic vegetables (broccoli, carrots and cottage cheese, etc.).

However, I didn’t like the corn salad at all. It tasted stale. I am not sure that it’s fresh. It tasted awful.

Instakhaana claims to have different menu seven days a week, freshly cooked and delivered in 20 minutes. Each day’s menu consists of two vegetarian and two non-vegetarian dishes to pick from. In addition to this, there is an option of adding a salad, a soft beverage like a cold pressed juice, or a dessert to complete a meal. They have their presence in BKC, lower Parel, Worli and Mahalaxmi. The next locations on the anvil are Bandra, Powai and Lokhandwala. They aspire to deliver to at least 20 areas in Mumbai over the next three months

This is online delivery service, where one can select the dish and order online.

The price is quite reasonable as compared to other restaurants in our area (Most of these scrumptious meals are priced between Rs80 and Rs170. InstaKhaana also has a deal of the day offer where any one vegetarian dish and one non vegetarian dish from the menu are priced at just Rs49 and Rs69 respectively)

and the food is quite healthy and non greasy.

You can visit their site for more information at http://instakhaana.com/

Refreshing Almond Drink

This Saturday, I visited my friend at Versova after a long time. ”Your welcome drink is ready” she said as soon as I entered her house. There was a great variety of food cooked for us, but in this heat, we can’t eat too much. But almond drink was a clever idea. I loved the nutty taste plus it’s so nutritious. I can’t remember the number of glasses I drank ..was it two?…or maybe five…? I can't remember...

The taste lingers till you go for next sip.

I hate asking for recipes during eating and drinking moments, the concentration get diverted. But while I take each sip, savoring and guessing the ingredients is a wonderful game I play silently in my mind.

I am aware that almond juice is good for health, it’s good for selfie too…the pretty glowing skin that results after regular cups of this refreshing drink..

And if we are not too logy, why not make it regularly?

Just soak 25-30 almonds in the water for 5-6 hours.

The skin begins to wrinkle and easily slips off with soft touch.

Transfer the peeled almond in the blender and add 1tsp aniseeds (sauf) 1tsp Black pepper (kala miri) 1tsp Poppy seeds (Khus khus) 2-3 Cardamon(elachi), 1tbsp sugar and 1tbsp of pumpkin seeds.

Add 2glasses of water and grind it to thin paste.

Line the strainer with cheesecloth and pour the blended mixture over it.

Gather the cheesecloth over the almond mixture and twist and squeeze out all the milk

Garnish with saffron threads, ground cashew nuts, ground pistachio and rose petals

You could add jaggery, figs or dates instead of sugar.

Serve chilled.

Maharastrian Food Festival at House Of Asia

There was a time, when large families would sit on the floor and enjoy the food together. The food was normally a traditional one and cooked with specific spices to give it an authentic taste. Everything has changed now. People opt for global fusion. It is difficult to sit on the floor and large families hardly get together unless there is a family wedding.

However such atmosphere can be created during food festivals, like the one I experienced at ‘Taste Of Asia’ at Mirador Hotel at Chakala (Andheri East) at the newest food festival called Pangat.

The low tables have been set on the floor and there is a colorful rangoli designed around the tables.

I was told that there would be waiters, women dressed in traditional Maharastrian costume of 9 yard saree and a beaded nose ring, men would be dressed in long kurtas and pajamas. They will be personally serving food at the low tables. A corner has been set up for live music of traditional Marathi folk songs.

It seems like a perfect set-up. I would have been happier if I was invited during the festival to mingle in the crowd and experience the event itself, but I was here to sample the food that would be served during the festival.

Here is what food will be served during the festival

Welcome drink: Solkadi Kairiche panhe Soup: Tamate cha Saar (tang y tomato soup) Khekdyche saar (crab soup) Starters: (veg) Kothmir chi Vadi (steamed coriander cakes) Dalimb Batate (tangy potato patty with pomegranate seeds) Kelfulache Vade (banana flower fritters) Starters non veg: Jeerameerichi kombdi (chk wt roast jeera,black pepper) Makli masala (squids masala) Tawache Bombil (grilled Bombay duck) Mains: Bharleli Vangi (stuffed brinjal) Mixed Ussal (mixed lentils prep) Kairichi kadi (raw mango curry) Kombdiche sukkhe (dry chk prep) Pandhra Rassa (kolhapuri mutton prep) Amti Masala bhaat Tandul chi bhakri (rice flour bread) Chutney: Kaliya til chi chutney (black sesame seeds chutney) Hirwa mirchi cha theecha Lal mirchi teecha Raw mango chutney Sweet tamarind chutney Desserts: Puran poli Olya naral chi karanji

I would go light on snacks and drinks, because the main food is extremely delicious and is truly authentic.

The Maharastrian food festival will be on from April 10^th to 16^th April 2015, 7pm onwards.

Venue: House Of Asia at Mirador Hotel, Chakala (Andheri East)

Cost is Rs900 (inclusive of all taxes)