Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 11 – Priya Bajaj

Rice. Simplest way we can cook this is to boil it using only water, salt and oil. If we have sedentary life style, eating too much rice may increase the risk of diabetes. But then who doesn’t like rice? Nobody can avoid it all together. But we can be creative and cook it in such a way that it is plain, boring, white no more. Everybody understands that, and they will add colourful vegetables, different meat/seafood, flavoured spices, variety of lentils to make it tastier and healthier. The quantity of rice is reduced and there is more of condiments that you use. Double Mazza.

In Vietnam, they make Rainbow Rice called Xoi Nu Gac , they use natural colours of Panda leaves, Gac fruit, Moong beans, Magenta plant. People around the world have their own creation of rice dishes. There is Paella in Spain, Hokein in China, Tehdig in Iran, Jellof in Africa, Nasi Goreng in Indonesia, Rissotto in Italy. That Champorado rice of Phillipines is chocolate porridge rice, just like you will find Saffron and Cardamom flavoured Tehree in Sindhi Homes. We have Khichdi, we have Pilaf, we have Briyani bursting with flavours. What more? If there is left-over rice in the fridge, it dons a new avatar of fried rice at the  breakfast table.

If you drool over flavourful Prawns Pulao by Priya Bajaj I won’t be surprised.

For the longest time, food has been an intrinsic passion of Priya Bajaj (of HD Food fame). It was something that she was good at and it gave her happiness. Her kitchen was her personal artistic space where she would exalt her creativity, vent out the day’s frustration and was the means of expression of love for her family. But the realisation was not just restricted to the realms of her family.  On the suggession of family, neighbours and friends, who encouraged her to climb on a commercial level, she settled on HD Food (H and D being the initials of her two daughters, Hitasha and Dikshaa, providing the initials for her business nomenclatures.)

“I am most grateful to my daughters and everyone else who thought I can do this, and for believing in me.” She smiles.  

She fondly remembers her Grandma’s house in Kanpur, where she tasted Jalebi Rabdi for the first time.

“The one dish that I will always relish is Jalebi Rabdi. Specially the one I particular ate at my Nani’s house when I visited her. I still remember its’ rich taste, when I devoured it for the first time. My Nana would take me to market every Sunday and feed me. The memory is still fresh in my mind.”

Food is the language of love that surpasses everything else and HD Foods is here to inculcate the language of love into the food that she  prepares.

HD Foods specializss in Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Sindhi Cuisine that includes Biryanis and Pulavs, Starters like Bhee pakoras, Dhal Kababs, Dhal Pakwan, Pav Bhaji, Sai Bhaji with Bhugal chawal, and many more. Do not miss her in-house preservative-free Pickles and Sherbets.  HD Foods cater to daily meals as well as meals for special occasions.  

Priya Bajaj is happy to share her recipe of Sindhi Prawns Pulao  

 

1. Add 2tbsp oil in a warm pan and allow it to heat a little.  

2. Add 1tbsp Cumin seeds,  2 medium sized Onions (finely chopped/sliced), 2tbsp Ginger, 2tbsp Garlic and 2tbsp Chillies. 

3. Saute on high flame, till Onions turn golden (not dark brown). 

4. Add all dry masalas like 1tbsp Garam Masala powder, 1tbsp Turmeric Powder, 3tbsp Coriander Powder. 

5. Add puree of 2 Tomatoes. 

6. Sauté this till the oil separates. 

7. Add 3cups Basmati Rice (washed and drained). 

8. Mix gently, well enough to coat rice with masala’s.  

9. Add water as required. 

10. When the rice comes to boiling point add 1kg Prawns and 2 tbsps Coriander leaves. 

11. Cover and cook till done. 

12. Heat ½ Ghee in a skillet and add 1tbsp Garam Masala. 

13. Use this to give a tadka at the end.  

14. Serve it  with Laccha Pyaaz and grèen Chutney as sides   

You can place your order with HD Foods via the contact numbers 90826 21574 

You can also send Direct Message on the social media handles  

 

Facebook page HD Foods

Follow them on Instagram HD Foods

  

Home Chefs Of Mumbai- Part 10 – Meeta Kataria

 We have developed a sweet tooth for offshore sweets. We enjoy the tender slices of Italian Tiramisu or sniff out the creamy scent of Hong Kong’s Dan Tats. We love Cendols of Singapore and Tub Tim Krob of Thailand, although they may remind us of taste of Falooda in India (minus Coconut milk and Panda leaves.) We relish Chocolate Chip cookies of USA that taste like Nankatai (without chocolate). We enjoy Baklava of Turkey and Borma from Middle East, although you can find a similar taste in Badam Puri, a typical sweet in Sindhi cuisine

Many have stopped eating Indian sweets, complaining of dripping fat and Desi ghee. Everybody prefers the pastries, cakes and Ice creams instead. In India, the first offering to Gods is always sweets, its never cakes or desserts. Or are they? The sugary treats are always pedas, or Sheera. The sweet fragrance of pure, warm ghee is soothing to the nerves. During all the festivals, we have exchanged Indian sweets and we have a large variety, there are many unique sweet gems that still remain unknown to most.

Sadly, Mithaiwallahs are over shadowed by the Patisserie and Confectionery. But we do have some home chefs who cook excellent Indian sweets in India. 

Meeta Kataria (of Chiselledmealsbymeeta) has a lot of respect for Indian cuisine and firmly believes that one can never get bored of eating a simple meal because there’s variety and diversity of food in India and much to try.  The same spice and vegetables are used in so many different ways across every states of India. 

Meeta worked for a cosmetic dentist ( 2009 ) who was very passionate about travelling , eating and cooking good food. Since she was the only married employee working there at that time, there would be discussions and sharing of food ideas during lunch hours. It was during that time that she learnt about various cuisines and realised there was lot more beyond than the regular food that one cooked at home. She felt that one does not need to always eat at a fancy restaurant, when it can be created at home.

She started the series of experiments in her kitchen to try out different dishes, at least twice a week.

She firmly believes in

1.Healthy food & lifestyle

2.In Yoga as the ultimate form of exercise …

3.Pranayams & Meditation

4.Karma

Meeta remembers going out with her dad to Khao Galli of Zaveri Bazaar and devouring unhygienic but delicious street foods. She also has fond memories of aromas emerging from her Mom’s kitchen. The authentic Sindhi Sweets recipes like ‘Gajaran ji Seero’ and ‘Khaskhas jo Seero have been passed down to her by her mom.

Her first trip to Vaishnodevi temple is still fresh on her mind 

“This happened way back in 1998.  I ate Rajma Chawal from a roadside Dhaba on our climb up to the temple. I was amazed as to how something could taste so good in spite of absence of onion & garlic ?  Those ingredients are not eaten by certain communities due to religious reasons.”

She specialises in Sindhi Cuisine, but she also cooks other foods such as South Indian, Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisine. She excels in Indian snacks and street food (majorly missed by everyone during this lockdown). As a home chef, she firmly believes in cooking dishes that define Comfort Food , so yes , that is her forte.

 

“Anyone eating my food should experience SATISFACTION !” she says.

She is happy to share her recipe of Rose Kalakand 

1. Reduce 1 litre full fat milk to ½ litre on a slow flame. Stir continuously in a thick-bottomed pan. 

2. Add 300 grams of crumbled Malai Paneer (cottage Cheese) to the milk.

3. Add 180-200 grams of sugar. 

4. Stir continuously. 

5. Continue till all the milk dries up & the mixture has a smooth & soft consistency ( like soft dough ). 

6. Switch off the flame. 

7. Add just 1-2 drops each of rose essence & rose color . 

8. Mix gently. 

9. Transfer it on to a tray greased with ghee. 

10. Let it set at room temperature. 

11. Leave it to cool. 

12. Garnish with finely sliced Almond & Pistachio flakes. 

13. Cut into squares and serve.

Meeta is vegetarian convert since 21 years, nevertheless she does cook non-vegetarian for her family and does take orders for the same

She uploads the fresh menu mainly on Mondays and receives pre-orders for Wednesdays and Saturdays. Dishes that are not listed in the menu can be customised (up to ten persons) with two-days prior notice.

You can place your order on her WatsApp contact no at 9892054520

Follow her Instagram handle : @Chiselledmealsbymeeta

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 9 - Roopa Nabar

Let us face it, everybody gets special thrills when they go to a restaurant that are infested with celebrities. Even if the celebrities may know nothing about food, the restaurants boast about them to increase their clientage and some of them may even become high browed in selecting who enters their premises.  

 You don't have to be rich or poor to know and appreciate the taste in food. A street corner Vada Pav guy will be equally popular as high-end Hyatt for that matter. If they have celebrity tag, their business blooms. Or so they believe.

 

So where are they now? Those celebrities? All those food lovers who puffed away the party hues every night??  Now during this lockdown, all of them have learnt to appreciate the real flavours of food, and have finally realised that the real quality of food is anchored on its nutritional value, the spices used and importance of local products cooked most hygienically. The new mantra is..Locals go Vocals

 

And why not? We will always have some authentic home chefs to bank on.

 

Roopa Nabar (of Kitchen Diva fame) belongs to the Gowda Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) community, who live across the Konkan coast of India. That means that they are Brahmins blessed by Gods and are allowed to eat fish, known as fruit of the sea (Samudra phal)

 

Beside being a good cook, she also is a life of a party, with a wonderful sense of humour, very vibrant and cheerful. If you hear a hearty laughter in a crowd, be sure that Roopa is there. Her cordiality reflects in the food that she serves.

 

When asked about her speciality, she says “Throw a fish to me and I can create wonders.”

 

Which I am sure she does.  She uses lots of coconut in her kitchen which are flavoured with very little spices, just chilies, pepper, kokum, ginger, garlic, coriander, she call them kalvan hooman. She uses lots of backyard vegetable like all the gourds and roots in her vegetarian preparation. She is very good at international cuisine too. When she travels, food is on the top of the list on the itinerary, she returns back with all that countries spices and ingredients and tries to replicate the same in her kitchen.

 

Her OMG Eureka moment was when she visited her Son Gaurang in London where he is a practising architect and is a food enthusiast.

 

“Mind you, when it comes to food we keep the religion aside and eat everything, so went to this place called L’Entrecote at Soho, this is a Restaurant run by a family that serves typical French bistro style steak frites, means steak and fries unlimited with a mind blowing butter sauce. It was the best French dish I had.” She said, talking fondly about those memories.

 

“It’s said that the family has their own secret recipe of the sauce and some say it’s made from chicken liver, fresh thyme, thyme flowers, full cream, Dijon mustard and butter ofcourse. It was a melt in mouth meat experience.” She added.

 
 She is a host in a food channel on u-tube called Coastal Kitchen , she does videos for Sanjeev Kapoor’s  Khana Khazana

 

She willingly shares her spicy, tasty recipe on Mutton Chops Rawa Fry.

 

 

 

1.    Roughly chop 1 cup Coriander Leaves

2.     Add in a grinder jar along with roughly chopped 4-5 green chillies, ½ cup fresh Mint Leaves, ½ inch Ginger and 6-7 Garlic.

3.    Grind into a fine chutney using little water.

4.    Take ½ kg Mutton chops in a bowl.

5.    Add ground Chutney (prepared in step 3).

6.    Mix well.

7.    Add salt, 2tbsp Kolhapuri chutney, 1tsp Turmeric powder and 1 1/2tsp Red Chilli powder.

8.    Mix well and set aside to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

9.    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pressure cooker.

10. Add chops along with marinate and sauté for 1 minute.

11. Add 1 cup water and stir to mix.

12. Cover and pressure cook for 8-10 minutes.

13. Remove from heat and set aside.

14. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.

15. Break 2 eggs in a bowl and whisk.

16. Spread 1 cup semolina on a plate.

17. Dip chops one by one in eggs and coat well in the semolina. Dust off excess.

18. Deep fry in hot oil till golden and crisp.

19. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot.

 Roopa has her fixed clients who regularly place orders if they want to enjoy a good  thikhad Maharashtrian food.

 

She takes corporate orders too but you can always contact her

WatsApp no 98330 67008.

 

She has made several U-tube videos as she loves to teach. You can find her Coastal Kitchen under Indian Food Network.

 

Find her on Facebook page Kitchen Diva

 

Follow her Instagram handle at roopanabar
 

 

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 8 – Sonal Saket Soni

Six months now and we are still stuck at home, with no clue as to when this pandemic is likely to perish. Family dinners, lunches and breakfast, are resurgent. Families have come together, closer  knit now, spending quality time, children more secure at home, happily embracing undivided attention. It’s kind of joyful amid all sorrows.

 It’s not that we are not relishing this togetherness, a purpose of sustenance, a purpose of literal communion, yes, we are - but that is not enough. We really miss our friends. Meetings on Zoom or Google-Meet was fun, initially, watching Insta-live has also raise the curve of our culinary skills, learning everything from the comfort of our home is the brownie point. But now, that’s become routine! Bored! We need change. We have begun to fantasize the other side of pandemic, when we can finally host a huge potluck at a private resort, may be out of Mumbai. An ideal post-Coronavirus feast maybe? What would that be? A huge bonfire with roasted meat sizzling away? Crackling, hissing, surrounded by smoke and wrapped in spicy fragrance?

 

I hope this pandemic ends before we forget what enjoyment really meant to us.

 

 

Sonal Saket Soni (of Astradelights fame) recounts about the celebrations in her childhood home at Ujjain. One huge hall was reserved for the cooking where 3/4 Maharajas prepared food stretched over 3 to 4 days and whole four-storied apartment would buzz with guests and relatives. Being a Marwadi by birth and that too in a huge joint family, her interest in cooking was developed watching them(maharajas) cook Gulab Jamun, Jalebis, Kaju Katlis and other Indian delicacies.

 

 

Sonal Saket Soni is passionate about baking. Her specialisation is sugar art and Eggfree/Eggless baking which includes Macarons, customised cakes, Brownies, healthy baked savoury  Cookies, Quiches and also does couverture Chocolates. She conducts hands on workshops teaching sugar flower and also Indian and International cuisines. She plans to launch an online workshops as well.

 

Sonal’s most cherished memory is of first Continental good food she had during her Honeymoon in '99 at  Manali at Hotel Ambassador, then and now Manuallaya, where they had stayed for a week.

 

“It was beautifully done, this Chinese Restaurant. It was my first taste of the most authentic and delicious Chinese food, truly enjoyed it as everything was simply delicious, from the hot and sour soup, to Dimsums, Noodles and Spring rolls. Breads consumption was considered a sin then.

 

Sonal fondly talks about her mother’s cooking skills, specially Matar (peas) Kachories, that was appreciated by whosoever tasted it. Her mom is her mentor and she has learnt to make Marwari and Malwa cuisine from her.

 

She is happy to share Eggless Pancakes Recipe.

 

 

1.     In a bowl, take 1½ cups of refined flour (Maida).

2.     Add ¼ tsp. Baking powder, 1tsp Baking soda, a pinch of Salt, ½ cup Sugar.

3.     Mix together using a whisk to combine all dry ingredients well.

4.     Add 1tsp Vanilla extract, 2tbsp Ghee/Butter, half cup Milk and mix well with the balloon whisk.

5.     Once combined, add another half cup of Milk and mix well.

6.     Then add the remaining ½ cup milk ( you may want to keep 2tbsp aside and add if the consistency is thick) to the batter.

7.     The consistency should not be very fluid.

8.     Pour the batter on the preheated Pancake griddle.

9.     Let it cook from one side on low flame.

10.  Flip after a minute.

11.  Cover and cook for another half a minute.

12.  Remove the lid and let it cook for 20 seconds till golden brown.

13.  Enjoy at teatime, preferably with friends.

 

 

You can place your order for cakes, macaroons and other baked specialities via direct chat on social media

 

Follow her on her Instagram handle at astraldelights

Facebook : Astraldelights 

Twitter : @astraldelights

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