Chatting Over a Cup of Tea

Have you ever seen the flower blossom in a tea cup? I hadn’t. Never before!

But yes! This is the moment not to be missed. I had an opportunity to experience this last week at a famous tea house ‘Infinitea’ at Bangalore.

The meaning of tea changes in accordance to its context. Chai-pani is the bribe people give to make their life easier, to avoid long queues and get the work done in a jiffy. Tea-party is the gathering of friends where there is less tea but more oily snacks, where people hold discussions and deals are made. Tea for me is just a chai, a must-have morning cup of tea with milk, sugar and tea-leaves. I may choose to have it at odd times if I am in mood or not have it at all. So when we entered the tea house and was asked if I wanted to have tea, my immediate response was ‘No’

But I soon realized that this was no ordinary tea house when I saw the waiter place the cups, the tea pots, the strainer, and the sand-timer in front of us.

I started to study the menu card. Infinitea peddles a variety of exotic teas like Stupa, White tea, Silver Blossom, Dragon Pearl, Rosette, there was variety that ranged from oolong, black tea, green tea, and herbal, exotic, fruity tea. How do people decide what they want?

It was difficult for my friends to decide too and all of them climb down the stairs from the mezzanine floor where we were sitting, to get the first hand knowledge of what they would like to taste, then came back gleaming, ear-to-ear, pleased at being able to choose the one that was most suitable to their palate.

While we waited for the tea, I looked around. There were posters everywhere. If you have forgotten to carry a book, fear not, there was enough literature and amazing posters adorning the walls that professed that sensitivitea, serendipitea, sensualitea are all linked to tea.

The order arrived, the glass pots with warm water were placed in front of us. He put tea-leaves of different flavors in each pot and allowed it to brew right in front of us as he turned the sand timer over.  Variety of flavors included vanilla milk oolong, Elixir, Enigma and most interesting of all was a black tea bud. This was the most fascinating of all. We watched the bud blossom in warm water, growing in size each second, unfolding a pink flower.

Naturally, I was curious to taste it.

Poured a sip from each pot, one by one tasted the different flavor of different fragrance and loved it.

Infinitea was launched in Bangalore with an aim to offer what is known as the “Champagne of teas” for Indian consumers. This was the first tea-shop to be set up anywhere in the world. The Infinitea logo promises ‘from leaf to cup’ which really means straight from the grower, fresh from the garden to your cup with no middle man. You get Darjeeling tea manufactured in First Flush (April) by June the same year.

Beside great variety of tea, the place offers exotic snacks too. A good two hours were spent leisurely, sipping tea, dinning and then deserts

.

On our way out, some of them bought tea leaves to take back home.

Food Demo at Kala Ghoda festival

When I reached 5-All Day restaurant, Apollo hotel, there were just few people inside the room. It was still early, fifteen minutes before the hall would fill up. Small group of women sat discussing the menu. The chairs were arranged in ten rows which could seat about 80 people. I took the seat closer to the work-station. I was to attend the demonstration of Tartine at Kala Ghoda Festival that was hosted by ‘Le PainQuotidien’ the bakery-café.

The table was laden with different kinds of sauces, breads, and other ingredients that the chef would use during the demonstration. A big screen dominated one corner of the room, which would be ideal for people sitting at the back to be able to view the demonstration clearly.

A senior couple sat next to me. They included me into their conversation, informing me the citation of all the events that they would be attending during the 9 days festival, their favorite being food and literature. Gradually the hall began to fill up, all the seats were occupied and there were about dozen standees. Each person was given the menu, recipe card and one pair of muffins. The evening looked good. It is important to watch food demonstration on a full stomach to be able to concentrate on the tutorials.

I munched on muffins.Soft and sweet, they melted easily after the first bite flooding my mouth with sweetness.

With brief introduction of the chef, the restaurant and about the festival, the demonstration began. All eyes fixed on the big screen and an occasional glances at the chef, we all sat enthralled watching each dish, drooling on every presentation.

Chicken and Pesto Tartine with Brie cheese &Pears

1. 1.     Chop the roasted chicken breast into cubes and add pesto (basil+oliveoil+salt+pepper) and Mayonnaise to make chicken-pesto mix.
   2.     Apply butter to the toasted bread.
   3.     Spread the chicken-pesto-mayonnaise mix.
   4.     Place the sliced Brie cheese on it.
   5.     Place thinly sliced pears on.
   6.     Cut into triangles.
   7.     Insert sliced cucumber and thinly sliced radish between the triangles.
   8.     Spread chopped tomatoes on it.
   9.     Add more pesto sauce on it.
   10.   Decorate it with rocket leaves and parsley.
   11.   Serve it cold

Roasted Chicken &Smoked Mozzarella Tartine with Basil Pesto & Tomato

1. 1.     Thinly slice the roasted chicken.
   2.     Apply butter to the toasted bread.
   3.     Arrange the thinly sliced chicken on the bread.
   4.     Spread thinly sliced green apples over it.
   5.     Cover it with thinly sliced smoked mozzarella.
   6.     Put it in the oven for 5 minutes or till the cheese has melted.
   7.     Cut it into triangles.
   8.     Insert thinly sliced cucumber and thinly sliced red radish between the triangles.  
   9.     Drizzle basil pesto on the top.
   10.   Add chopped tomatoes.
   11.   Decorate with arugula leaves and dill sprig.
   
   
   Mushroom & Chevre Tartine with Balsamic Peppers.
   
   
   
   
   
   

1. .     Make the mixture of chopped mushrooms and white sauce.(butter+flour+milk).
   2.     Roast (red+green+yellow) pepper, remove the skin and thinly slice them.
   3.     Mix Balsamic vinegar and salt to it.
   4.     Butter the toasted bread.
   5.     Apply the mushroom mixture to it.
   6.     Cover it with balsamic roasted pepper juliennes,
   7.     Sprinkle goat cheese on the top.
   8.     Bake it for 5 minutes.
   9.     Cut the bread into triangles.
   10.   Insert thinly sliced cucumber and thinly sliced radish between the triangles.
   11.   Place arugula leaves on the top.
   12.   Decorate with salad leaves.
   
   

Buffalo Mozzarella Tartine With Olive Spread And Marinated Tomatoes

1.      Thinly slice the tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella cheese.
   2.     Toast the wheat bread.
   3.     Apply butter and black olive paste (Olive tapenade) evenly on the bread.
   4.     Arrange tomatoes, mozzarella slices and arugula leaves alternately.
   5.     Bake it for 5 minutes till the cheese melts.
   6.     Cut it into triangles.
   7.     Drizzle basil pesto on it.
   8.     Garnish with thinly sliced cucumber and radish.
   9.     Serve warm.

Mint Lemonade

1.      Make the basic mixture using 30ml orange juice, 40 ml lime juice, 150ml water and sugar syrup.
   2.     Take a heavy bottom glass and muddle a few sprigs of mint leaves in it.
   3.     Add little hot water to the mint sprigs and allow it to seep for few minutes.
   4.     Add ice to fill up glass.
   5.     Add the lime-orange mixture. 

With demonstration complete it was time to feast.

Dish Of The Day - Thali

Thali, also known as Indian platter

This delicious platter comprises sol curry, dhal, matki, aloo-gobi, srikhand, salad, rice, chappati, pickle and papad

Street Food in Mumbai

Dahi Puri

Puri stuffed with boiled chana and boiled potatoes, curd, sev and coriander leaves also add salt, mango powder and red chili powder

Figs: I call it Anjeer

Enjoy the plate full of fruits but pick the Figs and I will tell you the reason.....now

When in Spain, during the favorable season, my maid would bring for me baskets full of of figs every day. She had fig trees, growing wildly at the backyard of her house, and she didn’t know what to do with it.

Me too, I would just eat them when ripe.

When Mumbai food Bloggers announced the Iron Chef Challenge theme: Figs, I was in two minds, should I make a sweet dish or a savory dish.

In the latest edition of magazine called ‘GoodFood‘  there were several dishes on Figs, but the recipe that caught my attention was ‘Manchego and fresh fig chutney crostinis’ which is kind of sweet and sour fig chutney where onion, sugar, spices and vinegar is cooked with figs and then served over bread, topped with cheese..

Figs have a natural affinity with cheese and cured meat, making them a good choice for antipasti platters. They go with pastry, cheese, honey, vinegar, yogurt and almonds.

Three of my friends  attempted this challenge, one made the figs and strawberry yogurt, other made fresh Fig Jam with the simples of ingredients - fresh figs, sugar, cinnamon & lime juice, and then other friend made Figs and sausage pizza’ 

hmmn! Interesting...no?

So why am I confused, why am I eating just like that?


Okay! decided....I made Figs exotic Salad that also included pine nuts, walnuts, small oranges, cherries raspberries, stir fried mushrooms, olives, baby tomatoes, fried tofu, feta, ice berg, olive oil, vinegar, basil leaves and fresh herbs

Figs are a fantastic sourceof vitamin B6.

B6 is responsible for producing mood-boosting serotonin, lowering cholesterol and preventing water retention, all characteristics that help balance the moods of a menstruating woman. Also, hormonal forms of birth control (such as the pill or the patch) deplete vitamin B6, so those using this method of birth control should try to eat more foods that are rich in B6- like figs.

Source: Benefits of Figsfor female health

Vegetarian Risotto

Italian Restaurants are good for Pizzas or Pastas. I am happy to munch on garlic bread and try few starters with assorted sauces and pesto’s.

But I have never really relished risotto because I find them too bland and too rich with butter and cheese. I have seen people dumping various sauces to improve its taste, to suit their palate, but eventually, destroying the authenticity of a real risotto dish.

A properly cooked risotto is normally rich and creamy, still has some resistance or bite and should have separate grains. Its’ traditional texture is fairly fluid but still not too watery like a broth. It is served on a flat dish and it should easily spread out but should not have excess watery liquid around the perimeter.

The rice that is used in this recipe is short-grained type which has good absorbing properties, has an ability to release starch to make it stickier than the normal rice, giving it a creamier effect.

Italians use rice like carnaroli because this variety of rice keeps its shape better than other forms of rice during the slow cooking, that is required for making risotto .

For me, a rich dish is rich if it contains not only assorted vegetables but also the right quantity of cheese and olive oil. A tasty dish for me is one that is spicy too. 

Normally, in a traditional risotto, they use wine and vegetable/meat stock to cook rice, but I have not used wine, (wanted to make it completely vegetarian) and also have used vegetable stock ‘cubes’ instead of vegetable stock that they normally make.

Oh! And yes, I love green chilies.

Since no restaurant will serve me the way I like, I prefer making it on my own.

What you need to prepare before cooking

As usual, chop all the vegetables required for this dish and bring out all the other ingredients from shelves or fridge or wherever you have stored them......

5-6 garlic pods, 

1/2 inch ginger, 

2 green chilies, 

1 vegetable stock cube, 

1 cup rice.

2 tbsp olive oil

5-6 mushrooms, 

1 carrot, 

1 medium green capsicum, 

1 medium Zacchini, 

1 medium red capsicum, 

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1 tsp 5-spice-powder

1 tsp red chilly flakes

1 tbsp black pepper sauce

10-12 olives, 

1 cup grated cheese,

So now that you are ready, lets begin.

Step 1

Pound garlic, ginger and green chilies in the mortar

Step 2

Fry the garlic, ginger and chili in olive oil

Step 3

Add rice and vegetable stock cube and toast it well

Step 4

Add water, let it cook on slow flame.

Step 5

In a separate pan, stir fry vegetables in olive oil 

Step 6

Add basil leaves, red chilly flakes, 5 spice powder, black pepper sauce and salt.

Step 7

Transfer the stir fried veggies into the rice pan

Step 8

Mix it well and add 1 more cup of water and let it cook till the rice is tender.

Step 8

Remove from flame and add grated cheese and chopped olives, mix it well.

It must be eaten at once as it continues to cook in its own heat and can become too dry with the grains too soft.

Hope you like it. I had made chilies in vinegar, which tasted quite good when I sprinkled on it.

Dish Of the Day - Dahi Vada

Dahi vada made of lentil fritters soaked in curd and garnished with red chili pepper, cumin powder, mango powder and coriander leaves.