Brinjal and Cauliflower Pilaf

My blog is all about coming back to read how I cooked the other day.

Because each time I cook rice pilaf, it tastes different. Not that it tastes better or worse, its just different. People who enjoy my rice pilaf remember the taste for a long time and many will ask me to make it again. But, till then I have forgotten the recipe. How will I remember the recipe if it was made on impulse? Each time, the ingredients are different, quantity is different and also the spices.

So this time, I decided to write down step by step, to jot down what I did at that moment because I follow no recipe, I always cook with my instinct, keeping in mind the person for whom I am cooking. (know that if my mood is good and I love cooking for you then you will surely like it).

I cooked for my friends who came visiting me and they had loved it. Not sure if I will be able to replicate it if they ask me to cook for them again but I can come back to check what I did at that moment.

Checked my fridge, there were brinjals, cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, perfect ingredients for my rice pilaf.

Follow my recipe….

Chop three brinjals, slit the flesh, salt them and keep them aside.

Chop and keep aside 2 large potatoes, 3 large tomatoes and half cauliflower too.

Chop three onions length wise and keep on slow fire to caramelise them to light brown.

Keep stirring them from time to times till you achieve the light brown colour. Transfer into a bowl and keep it aside.

Pound 6cloves of garlic, half ginger and 3 green chilies.

Need to pick 4cloves, 4cardamoms, 4bay leaves, 1 inch cinnamons, 2 star aniseeds

Take a large flat bottom pan, add 2tbsp of oil and roast the dry garam masala

Wash and drain off the salty water from brinjals and add to the fried garam masala. Stir to mix.

Add cauliflower, tomatoes, salt, lemon leaves, cover and cook it on slow fire for ten minutes.

Remove brinjals and cauliflower in another container

Add 2 cups washed rice to the remaining ingredients in the pot and mix it well till it begins to stick to the base of the pan.

Add 2 cups water, cover and let it cook for ten minutes.

When the rice is half done, transfer back the fried onions, cooked brinjals and cauliflower into the pan. Cover and keep it on slow fire till it is done.

Sprinkle coriander powder, lime juice, red chili powder and coriander leaves.

Serve with deep fried potatoes, carrot pickle  and  curds.

Ingredients that were used

3 medium size brinjals

3 large tomatoes

2 large potatoes

3 medium onions

half cauliflower

3 tbsp oil

6cloves garlic

half inch ginger

6 green chilies

4 cloves

4 cardamoms

4 bay leaves

2 star aniseeds

1 inch cinnamons

6 lime leaves

2 cups rice

1 tsp coriander powder

1tsp red chili powder

1 tsp lime juice

salt to taste

coriander leaves for garnishing

Product Launch - Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creation

Mondelēz International is a world leader in biscuits, chocolate, gum, candy and powdered beverages, with billion-dollar brands, such as Oreo, LU and Nabisco biscuits; Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate; and Tridentgum.

Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is a global snacking powerhouse, creating delicious moments of joy in 165 countries. It is a new food and beverage company that was established in October 2012 when Kraft Foods was demerged from its US grocery business

So, when I got an invite to attend the launch of their new product at ITC Grand Central, I was curious to learn about it.

Due to heavy rains and bad traffic, I was late for the event but was in time to hear Mr Prashant Peres, Director-Marketing, Mondelez India, speak about their objective of bringing fun and excitement into the way Indians enjoy their favourite chocolates, both in urban and in rural sector of India.

The launch was of Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations, available in two flavours, Jelly Popping Candy and Cookie Nut Crunch.

I got to try a small piece of chocolate infused with jelly beanies, gems and popping candy and it kinda exploded into the mouth with every delicious bite. I am sure children will enjoy these chocolates more than anything else.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations is different, in the sense that it is  quirky looking block and curiously shaped pieces of varying sizes made specifically for sharing, this is the first time in India that it is introduced like this.

PS: This is a sponsored post.

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.

Fable, Italian restaurant at Juhu

My friends and me, we meet regularly, either for pot lunch or in a restaurant. A big discussion follows on selecting a venue when eating out, we normally look for place where we can chill over long conversations and enjoy good food.

Fables seemed a perfect choice this time since we were in mood for Italian cuisine.

The décor was very inviting with open fireplace for roasting Pizzas, designer tables, a wishing well and beautiful artistic windows and lamps.

Themed around books/stories/tales, (as the name fables suggests) this place is dainty and elegant. The place was full during lunch hour, specially the enclosed AC area, We chose a table at far corner where we could do gup-shup in peace.

Menu card was interesting with stories and graphics between pages. So while we decide on the choice of dishes, going through those graphics was a pure delight

We ordered Lychee-lemon grass coolers, first two and then two more because they were very refreshing.

Pizza, unfortunately was very disappointing. The crust was okay (grilled under open fire) but the topping had no taste at all, no herbs, less salt and it was soggy

But the winner was the salad that had perfect blend of sweet and sourness. It was quinoa and barley salad with mixed lettuce, onions, cherry tomatoes in chilli maple dressing.

It would have been better, had we ordered just french fries, the chilie and cheese on the fries did no justice at all.....

Service is good. I asked waiter to bring me the most attractive dessert and he brought me this cheesecake with raspberry sauce. Loved it.

The restaurant is reasonably priced but service tax(15%) and service charges(20%) spikes the bill up to 35%.

Calling home service seems to be a better option. We save on the service charges

But dining in a restaurant has its own charm. The stories flow fluently  and there is no hassle of running to the kitchen every two minutes and missing the conversation in bits and pieces.

Would I go back to this restaurant again? I am not sure…