Home Chefs Of Mumbai - Part 7 – Shital Kakad

Have you noticed that the longest time we fritter away at the shopping mall is by the kitchen appliance section to check the latest gadgets? 

Sometimes, it can be hard to shop when we already have stocked our kitchen with latest and greatest appliances.  But still, nothing compares with the utensils and the tools that our moms and Grandmoms used in their kitchen. Maybe, that was one of the reasons that their food was tastier, healthier, sustainable, because they used their muscle power for everything. Kitchen was also their gym where all workouts were done while cooking - grinding, lifting, bending, squatting, cleaning, washing, churning, steaming, the list goes on.

 Luckily the retro is in. People have started using clay, copper and iron utensils. A lot of Indian homes have mortar and pestle in their kitchen, which not just personifies their rustic charm, but it also helps crush the ingredients, releasing essential oils and full-bodied flavours. Crushing is anytime better than grinding in a machine.

 

I am sure that one of the secrets to Shital Kakad’s cooking is in her use of Silbatta.

 

Shital Kakad is the multi-talented home chef. She has always loved to paint, embroider, crochet & reading was/is almost her shadow. She owned a Fashion Studio before she started food blogging. Her love for food brought her closer to foodie friends and she was encouraged to open ‘Shital's Food Cottage’ (her dream project) that has taken shape beautifully. It is her haven for creating new recipes, has some amazing ‘Food Events’ and she also conducts ‘Workshops’. ‘Shital's Food Cottage’ has a special Chai Masala, loved by many and is highest saleable masala!!! (This can be almost called her Heirloom recipe.) She has created signature Egg-free recipes and she takes orders for the same.

 

 She specialises in Indian Global Vegetarian food that has been highly influenced by her travels but her Forte is definitely her Traditional Authentic Gujarati Food like Gujarati Thali, Street Food specials, Mithai Jars, and also Teatime Cakes, Cookies, Dips & Appetizers

 

She keeps thinking about the food she had on her trip to Zurich.

“I can never forget Surat no locho, Amritsar Lassi & the handmade Pizza I had at a small café in Zurich which was owned by an Italian & who allowed me in his kitchen to show me how he makes it.”  She smiles.

 

But her First Eureka moment definitely is her Mom's food. She loved the special Batata nu Shaak that her Mom would make for her to take on school picnics, that till today she calls it as her picnic Shaak. Her mom has been her teacher in a true sense.

 

“The first thing my Mom taught me was making Gujarati Rotlis which are really thin Phulkas & I was only in the sixth grade when I used to make perfect Rotlis. I loved Cooking since I was child as my family on both sides are big foodies.”

 

She is happy to share Green Sprouts Curry that has the healthy Buttermilk & fresh Fenugreek leaves which makes it highly Beneficial as well as Delicious.

 

 

1.    Heat 2tsp oil in a kadai.

2.    Add  one onion (chopped length wise) & brown it a little.

3.    Add 1 tbsp garlic paste.

4.    Add 1 cup finely chopped fenugreek leaves(use less if preferred).

5.    Add ½ tsp turmeric & 1 tsp red chilli powder along with the salt.

6.    Add 1 cup green beans sprout.

7.    Add 2 tbsp of water.

8.    Cook for 5 minutes till they become slightly soft.

9.    Lastly add 1 cup buttermilk & bring to a boil ( if the buttermilk is curdling, just add in a teaspoon of besan / chickpea flour & mix).

10. The Delicious Green Sprouts Curry is ready to be served along with some piping hot Rotis or Rice or with some Jowar Rotis.

 

Lockdown gave her an idea to start her E MAGAZINE called Chai Shai Aur Baatein (She hosts a WatsApp group under the same name). Since she could not meet her group friends during these times, she launched the e-magazine so that they could share some amazing recipes as well as lifestyle articles.

 

 

You can order her food on 9821876249

Or by messaging her on Facebook page- Shital Food Cottage

You could follow her Instagram handle at ShitalKakad

 

You could visit her blog for more of her authentic regional recipes

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 6 Ananya Banerjee

Meetings are always about people and our association with them. People who say that they have got used to sitting at home and don’t really miss going out, don’t believe them. Even if we have grown roots beneath the sands during this lockdown, we are still anxiously waiting to uproot our stance once this pandemic ends. Everybody wants to go out for different reasons, some for music and dance, some for food, some for ambience of the restaurants, the service, the view and some for just sitting by the seaside, watching the waves roar while they munch on eight varieties of olives.

 

We also miss those street hawkers selling that ‘Cutting Chai’, those Batawadas sandwiched between Pav and spicy, fried green chilies, those kabab grills at roadside food trucks and the aroma of roasted meat down the Khao Galli. We also miss those regular potlucks and pop-ups where we met our friends. And we miss our friends who organised such meetings, specially those who love food like we do.

Ananya Banerjee is one such friend, the most glamorous home chef, she is also food stylist, cooking consultant and an expert food advisor. 

 

 

She is into many things but few things that she loves doing are curating menus for restaurants and exploring unexplored cuisines from all across the country and around the world. During this pandemic, she has been hosting Instalive talk show for FBAI,    where there is lots of knowledge sharing and food stories of chefs and home chefs around the globe. You can catch her live on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11am, or watch IGTV at leisure.

 

She specialises in Bengali Cuisine. As a Bengali born and brought up in West Bengal, she considers herself as an ambassador of the Bengali cuisine and the many unexplored cuisines from the Eastern part of India. She has created many recipe videos of the east India cuisines for her Youtube channel Chef Ananya Banerjee so you can always check and try it out at home.

 

 She grew up surrounded by food which she thinks its part of being born in a Bengali household. She still clearly remember her mother and grandmother cooking traditional Bengali food at their ancestral home using heirloom crockeries.

 

“I am pretty sure that the first taste of good food I had was at home and made by my grandmother however I think I was too small to remember exactly when. Traditional food has always played an important role in my life and it still continues to define who I am.  I think as a passionate chef I have many memorable moments whenever I step in the kitchen to cook something because I love exploring with food all the time.” She admits when asked about her food memories. 

 

She is happy to share her favourite, flavoursome vegetarian Bhapa Alu

 

 

1.     Par boil 250 gms baby potatoes and skin them

2.     Heat oil in a pan, add the ½ tsp Panch Phoron powder(blended 5spice powder).

3.     Add 2 dry Red chilies and stir the till they splutter

4.     Add boiled baby Potatoes and mix well. Keep aside.

5.     Take ½ tsp Mustard paste, 1 tbsp Curd, 1tbsp grated Coconut, finely chopped Green Chillies and ½ tsp Turmeric powder in a bowl,

6.     Mix it well.

7.     Gently mix the potatoes in the prepared paste.

8.     Add the salt to taste and lime juice, mix well.

9.     Heat the banana leaves to make it pliable. Add the potato mixture in the middle close from all sides, secure it with a wooden toothpick.

10.  Place it in a steamer and steam for 6-7 minutes or Microwave it for 3-4 minute

 

 

She has many favourite recipes/dishes. Both local and global. She has even started doing a special menu service on one of the week days every month where she makes selected authentic dishes in her kitchen and delivers it with utmost care and precautionary measures. This month (September 2020) is all about ‘Local and Global’ dishes.

 

To order popular Bengali and global dishes cooked in the most authentic way in her well sanitised kitchen, you can choose your pick from the menus she shares on her social channel, call the number and pre-book it and it will delivered to your doorstep safely following all the precautionary guidelines.

 

You can follow her on her Instahandle at thesareechef

Home Chefs Of Mumbai- Part 2 – Inderpreet Nagpal

There’s now an encouraging trend to treat home chefs as stars they undoubtedly are. They have found solutions of delivering food all over Mumbai to ease the overload of unending household chores.

 Generally we judge home chefs on two grounds: The quality of all food that emerges from their kitchen and the innovation of the dishes on the menu.

 

 

Inderpreet Nagpal, popularly known as ‘Rummy’s Kitchen’ is the most versatile home chef who can build the most innovative delicious dish from any ingredient. Food is always on her mind, not only in her kitchen but also when she is out of her kitchen, in the garden, or with friends and even during travelling.

 

She fondly talks about her first memory of food.

 

“During my Singapore trip we went to a sea food place called Tiong Bahru.
Oh my God! The variety of live sea food was just too good. It was like . You go select  the sea food you want to eat , select the preparation and it comes ready on your table! Amazing! ”

 

She does catering for small parties, plus keeps weekly menu. Every week, there is different menu with different cuisine. This month is only meats, started with mutton, then fish, chicken and pork. She specializes in non-veg dishes, fusion food, mix of South and West.

 

She is happy to share her recipe of Sweet Buns

 

 

1.     PREHEAT OVEN TO 180C

2.     Mix together 2 tsp yeast, 1tsp sugar, 125ml water. Keep it aside for 2 minutes and let it bloom.

3.     Add 450 gms maida, 100ml warm milk, knead the dough, hook in on medium speed.

4.     Add 1tsp sugar, salt and knead on high speed for 10 minutes.

5.     Add 1 tps butter and ½ cup mix of tin fruit cherries, nuts, dry berries, black and white sesame seeds while mixing.

6.     Knead the dough till it becomes very soft and elastic.

7.     Remove the dough from the mixer and give it a quick knead with your  hands.

8.     Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with cling film or a damp cloth and leave it to prove for approximately 2 to 3 hours until doubles in size.

9.     Once risen knock back the dough, place on a lightly floured work surface.

10.  Make 9 to 10 balls  or roll the dough and keep it in the loaf tin to make bread loaf.

11.  Let this rise for another 30 mins

12.  Brush with beaten egg or cream, sprinkle sesame seeds . Place on a baking tray

13.  Bake for 20 mins on 200°  until golden brown

14.  Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack and leave it at room temperature

15.  Enjoy with butter or jam

Inderpreet Nagpal was awarded Home Chef and Baker's award 2020 for the contribution to India's Home chef & Baking Industry in the category of 10 years+

 

 Rummy loves baking bread, “Its  so relaxing working on breads” she says.  She has a pickle brand called “Herbs n Spices’

You can get in touch by following her Instagram handle ‘Rummykitchen’

 

Boryeong Festival At Oriental Wok in The Club

On the other side of the world, at Daecheon Beach area, in South Korea, to be exact, Mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats and used as ‘mud experience’ People splash mud on each other and roll into mud till they are soaked from head to toe. The mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics. The first Mud Festival was staged in 1996 and by 2007, the festival has attracted 2.2 million visitors in Boryeyong.

Of course, such festivities cannot be replicated in Mumbai, because neither do we have such kind of mud at our beaches nor that enthusiasms. But Oriental Wok at The Club decided to celebrate this festival by offering the traditional Korean food at their restaurant and I was invited to be the part of their celebrations.

Oriental Wok, being located inside a private club, may not be accessible to many non-members, but the food that I was served was exceptionally good. Each dish was meticulously prepared and was such a delight.

I went with two of my friends and we were seated in the warm corner surrounded by bamboo dividers, supple strips of cane and polished wood. The beautiful ambience transports you to oriental world miles away. The table was laden with sauces and kimchi. I normally judge a restaurant with the soup, the sauces and kimchi they serve. If their stock is good, then their food will not disappoint.

There is a special Korean menu prepared during this festival at the restaurant. Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, vegetables and meats.  Traditional Korean meals are noted for the off side dishes (Banchan) that accompany steam cooked short-grain rice.

Gui are grilled dishes, which most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredients, but may in some cases also compose grilled vegetables or other vegetable ingredients. At traditional restaurants, meats are cooked at the centre of the table over burner, surrounded by various side dishes. The cooked meat is then cut into small pieces and served with thinly sliced garlic, lettuce leaves and rice.

But there is no such central burners at the dining table at this restaurant, all food is prepared in their kitchen and served at the tables.

Both my friends are vegetarians, they enjoyed the vegetarian meals, whereas Me, wanted to taste their non-vegetarian cuisine, although every vegetarian dish that arrived, my friends insisted that I taste (so happy were they with the food)

The chicken was roasted to perfection, so were the tofu, paneer and egg plants. They were served with fish chips and baked bread.

For the main course, we were served

Yanggogo Bulgogi (stir fried lamb with garlic, chilies, leeks and soya sauce) for me and Yen gen potato jorim (Stir fried lotus root and potatoes in Korean sweet and sour sauce)  for my vegetarian friends. The meat was very tender infused with spices, such a delight. The sweet and sour sauce was too sweet for our palate so the chef insisted that we try his other dish in green sauce, cooked specially for us. The chef personally came to our table to offer his speciality. Very impressive!

 In Korean cuisine, commonly used ingredients include sesame oil, fermented bean paste, soya sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, fermented red chili paste and lettuce.

This was served with rice. When he bought the rice to the table in a beautiful bowl with stir fried vegetables arranged artistically over stewed rice, I was zapped. At our tables, he mixed the veggies with the rice and served into our plates.

How much can one eat?? We were over stuffed but no meal is complete without dessert.

Tapioca pudding (Sago pearls, coconut milk palm sugar toasted sesame) was instant hit. Loved the sweetish coconut flavor over sago pudding and the crunchiness of sago seeds.

This was a wonderful meal and brownie point for very helpful staff who wanted to please. They were proud to serve us their traditional Korean meals and made sure that we go back with happy memories.

Boryeong festival at The Club Mumbai is being celebrated from 17^th July to 31th July. Believe me when I say that you will not be disappointed. There is a great celebrations during the weekends that includes traditional Music too.

Book Launch of a Cook Book : Great Grandma’s Kitchen Secrets

When I received an invite to attend a book launch titled ‘Great Grandmas’s Kitchen Secrets’, I was fascinated. It was a double celebration. Sharing the age-old family recipes with the world and celebrating a birthday on an auspicious day of GudiPadva. It was no ordinary birthday. It was a huge celebration of a milestone for the celebrity Susheela Pathak celebrating her 96^th birthday on this big day.

Wow!

This was quite inspiring! I was very touched by the love and the unity of her large family. Imagine living long enough to see three generation. There were grandchildren and even great grand children present for the launch, happy that they would be able to carry on the traditional recipes for many years more. Her family claimed that she is the senior most living author in India and is currently in consideration for Limca book of records.

Many film and theatre personalities were present at the launch, and many stories told. Her friend of 75yrs of friendship had some memorable stories to share.

Her journey with writing books began at age of 90years, when her grandson asked her to pen down fables so that he could share with his children who were in America at that time. Shrimati Susheela Pathak has written two storybooks, one on idiom and this latest book on recipes that has been also translated in English to reach a bigger readership. She plans to write a new book on house-hold remedies too. I begin to realize that one should never stop living; life has great surprises in store for us.

The English edition of ‘Great Grandma’s Kitchen Secrets’ was initially hand-written in Marathi. Besides tradition Maharastrian recipes like Sanja, gud papdi laddos and Mohri ki Mirchi that she had learnt from her mother, there are more than 150 old, new, and modified dishes along with recipes for left over food.

There are some helpful tips too f

“While making baigan barta, before you roast the whole brinjals, apply mustard oil on the skin and insert garlic cloves. It will be well done and also not cause flatulence.”  

Also

“To make fluffy puris, add two spoons soojee to the cup of wheat flour and knead in soda water. Poories will remain fluffed for long time after it is fried.

There was a small demo of mixing of Poha bhel by chief guest Sachin.

We were served the delicious plate of chaklis and poha bhel and some fresh juice.

The favorite dish of Aaji (as she is lovingly called) was a take-away of 2 Pooran Poli, Amti Masala and chili pickle for every guest. I enjoyed the pooranpoli with chili pickle. The masala I plan to use when I cook dhal the next time.

Sharing a leaflet (page65) from her book of the ‘Mustard Chili’ that I enjoyed during snack time

Ingredients

1/4kg Green long stemmed chilies

1/4kg Mustard

1/4kg salt

1tsp Fenugreek seeds

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp asafetida

2tsp oil

Lemon juice from 12-15lemons

Method:

Wash the chilies and cut into small pieces. It will get deseeded automatically. Separate the seeds and keep the pieces aside.

Clean mustard seeds. Grind them fine in a mixer. Add salt and cup of water. Grind them well together

Add turmeric and asafetida

Shallow fry fenugreek seeds till they become brown. Grind the fenugreek seeds separately.

Add lemon juice extracted from 12-15 lemons

Add chili pieces and mix well.

Close the lid tightly, seal it with cloth.

Keep stirring ever1 or 2 days. This chili mustard has a shelf life of many years.

Whenever you wish to consume it, remove small portion and temper with oil seasoning.