Utterly Butterly Franco-Lucknowi

 

(This article first appeared online on 7th February 2024 on Live Mint and in print on 8th February in Mint newspaper India on page 14 https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/lucknowi-menu-french-food-taiyaba-ali-mumbai-dinner-pop-up-111707272707387.html)

Sri Lankan Burgher Cuisine

 

(This article first appeared online on 26th July and in print on 27th July 2023 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/sri-lanka-burgher-cuisine-lump-rice-love-cake-111690341938060.html)

Restaurant Review: Ammata

 

(This review first appeared online on 11th November 2021 on ZeeZest https://zeezest.com/food/restaurant-review-ammata-bar-mumbai-zee-zest-1017)

Healthy Chinese bhel (with recipe)

 

This article was published on 26th February 2021 online on NDTV Foodt //food.ndtv.com/how-to/this-healthy-chinese-bhel-makes-for-a-yummy-high-protein-snack-recipe-inside-2379422

Today’s ‘Wrap’ Star

Every 15th of August, Goa celebrates both the nation’s Independence Day as well as the Catholic feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by indulging in the patoleo—a medicinal, festive treat that is so much more than a mere sweet    

By Raul Dias

Like most Indian micro communities, we, the inhabitants of the tiny state of Goa have our very own set of peculiarities. Chief among these is our all-consuming fixation with hypochondria, where running to the doctor at the slightest hint of a malady is almost a state pastime. A close second is our unbridled love for feasts of all kind. This could take the form of village feasts, religious feasts or agriculture-based ones that pivot around sowing/harvesting seasons. 

Interestingly, this truism is augmented by the fact that in Goa, every feast day and almost every ailment has its own ‘patron’ sweet treat. One that helps celebrate, and the other that helps cure, or so is the belief. The humble patoleo has the distinction of holding sway over both ‘portfolios’…and then, some more!      

 

Leafing Through

Loathe as we are to call it a mere ‘steamed dumpling’—even though the patoleo is made with just three main ingredients viz. red, parboiled local Goan rice called ukda tandul, dark palm jaggery called madachem god in Konkani, and fresh coconut scrapings—it is anything but simple to us Goenkars. Even its full name is a tongue-twisting haldikolyanche patoleo, with the first part referring to the all-important haldi or turmeric leaf that the sweet is ensconced in before steaming. For it is this crucial catalyst that gives the patoleo its gingery, almost floral fragrance and taste when steamed in a traditional copper vessel with an airtight lid. Known either as a komfro or chondro, depending on which part of Goa—Bardez up north or Salcete in the south—one comes from.

But what brings the patoleo into focus is the fact that it is today, the 15th of August, that we Catholics observes the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A big feast day celebrated all over Goa, usually with street processions and dances, and always with plates overflowing with the hallowed patoleo. This is also the time of the year when churches across Goa celebrate the harvest festival—again with patoleo—that is multifariously known as the Festa de Novidades, Novem or the Konnsachem Fest, symbolising the holy day of thanksgiving and gratitude to God. 

Now, coming to the medicinal properties of patoleo, it is said to be a great antidote to whooping cough among children thanks to the antiseptic, Ayurvedic properties imbued in the turmeric leaves. With early August, in particular, seeing a profusion of turmeric plants shoot up all over Goa and India’s other western coastal regions, there truly is no better time of the year than now to celebrate the patoleo. 

Community Spread

But it would be very remiss of me to shamelessly co-opt the patoleo into being a Catholic Goan sweet only. For, in Goa, it is also prepared by the Hindu Goan community to celebrate the festivals of Naag Panchmi and Ganesh Chathurti. In fact, the Hindus celebrate the aforementioned harvest festival on the second day of the Ganesh Chathurti festival. In neighbouring Karnataka, a salt-bereft version of the patoleo that is called haldi panna pathali is even offered to Goddess Parvati, who, according to legend, used to crave the preparation during her pregnancy.

While researching her book—The Culinary Odyssey of Goa—that she’s currently working on, author and Goan food historian, Odette Mascarenhas dug up some interesting patoleo factoids. The most surprising of all being the possible origin of the sweet in far Bengal. “The patoleo is quite similar to the preparation called pitha in Bengal which is also a rice batter and coconut-jaggery stuffed steamed dumpling made in January for the seasonal harvest of rice there. I believe that migration—particularly after the 1009-1026 AD invasions of Bengal by Mahmud of Gazni, when families fled to the Konkan coast—brought it to Goa,” she opines.

This is probably true, for the patoleo can even be found among Mumbai’s East Indian Catholic community where it is called pan mori and patoley by the Mangalurean Catholics.   

Different Strokes

While the ground rice and salt paste smeared onto the turmeric leaf is the base for all patoleo, each family makes a few minor tweaks to their recipe, mainly in the coconut-jaggery filling called chun that sits in the center of the leaf. “The inherent diversity of each household in Goa brings uniqueness to the precision with which the dessert is prepared, as a curative snack or as a prized festive dessert. Every home has its own unique patoleo recipe,” says Jerson Fernandes, executive chef at the Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort Hotel, who has researched the sweet and come up with versions that use everything from ghee-fried charoli or chironji seeds (buchanania lanzan) to cardamom flvaoured chun iterations. He claims to have even come across a highly non-traditional patoleo version that is steamed in a cup-like parcel fashioned out of jackfruit leaves.

And speaking of interpretations, the Mumbai-based modern Goan restaurant O Pedro recently took things more than a few step further when their pastry chef Heena Punwani sent out her jazzed up version of the warm patoleo. She teamed it with a light palm jaggery caramel, poha granola and a vanilla bean ice-cream on the side.       

Deliciously blasphemous enough to send any patoleo-loving, hypochondriac Goenkar scurrying to the nearest doctor, I would say!  

------

(recipe)

Patoleo

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup parboiled Goan red rice (ukda tandul) 

¼ tsp salt

1 cup fresh coconut (scraped) 

100 gm dark jaggery (madachem god)

10-12 turmeric leaves

METHOD:

1. Soak the rice in water overnight.

2. The next day, after draining the rice, grind it in a food processor along with the salt till the mixture resembles a smooth, but thick slurry. Use a little water, if needed. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 hours.

3. For the filling, melt the jaggery in a pan and add the fresh, scraped coconut, mixing well. Turn off heat and allow to cool down to room temperature.

4. Clean and wipe the turmeric leaves with a damp cloth.

5. With wet fingers, gently spread the rice paste along the surface of the leaf, making sure to not tear the leaf and to leave a little space along the edges of the leaf.

6. In the center of the leaf, place a tablespoon of the coconut filling, spreading it outwards (make sure to not overstuff the leaf as the filling will ooze out when steaming).

7. Fold each leaf in half lengthwise, pressing gently with the palm of your hand to seal the edges.

8. Without overcrowding (you can make them in batches), steam the patoleo for 15-20 in a covered, pre-heated, water-based steamer till the leaves turn a dark green.

9. Serve warm.   

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the 15th August 2020 issue of The Hindu Business Line newspaper's BLink section on page 22 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/cover/a-goan-sweet-for-august-15/article32350189.ece)

Idli do good

With a menu full of yummy, highly affordable idli iterations and other South Indian snacks, this new, vegetarian takeaway joint makes for a fun ‘tiffin’ time!     

 

By Raul Dias

If there is one quotidian tradition we sorely miss about our earlier work stint in Chennai, then that would have to be the yummy, twice-daily repast called ‘tiffin’ in the local parlance. A short, mid-morning and teatime snack that is punctuated by strong filter coffee (but, of course!) and a smorgasbord of scrumptious treats. Often highlighted by a mindboggling variety of our favourite South Indian snack—the idli. 

While there is no dearth of Udupi restaurants in Mumbai that try their best to satiate those basic idli cravings, it is the sheer lack of more local and regional idli iterations like the Kanchipuram and thatte idli that gets to us. The newly opened, all-veg Idli Didli Doo seeks to remedy that. And it does so with aplomb, offering over a dozen versions of the steamed rice cake—some traditional and a few that cheekily defy convention.

The menu here is so extensive that we feel the need to try it out on two separate occasions. We pick up the first order ourselves from the tiny Shivaji Park outlet. While the other, we call in a few days later via a food delivery service provider. 

We start off with the thatte idli (Rs 65) that is a fluffy, quarter plate sized single idli that, just like all the other idli varieties on offer, is accompanied by a delicious, drumstick- and brinjal-redolent sambar and two fresh-tasting chutneys (coconut and tomato-chilly). The mustard seed and curry leaf-speckled Kanchipuram idli and the red-tinted ragi idli (both, Rs 65 for two), are equally scrumptious. 

The bite sized mini rasam idli (Rs 65 for five), with the thin, lemony rasam, putting an interesting spin on the dish is perfect for a particularly rainy day along with a steaming shot of filter coffee (Rs 15 for a half cup). Seeing the rarely-found-in-Mumbai paniyaram (Rs 80 for six) on the menu, we could not help ordering a portion of the ball-shaped dumplings, that are also known as paddu in Karnataka, and made from idli batter in a specially indented griddle pan. The neer moru (Rs 40) is a refreshing, South Indian take on traditional chaas and a cooling antidote to the fiery tomato-chilly chutney that we dunk our crisp medu vada (Rs 55) into.

Wanting to go a little ‘off-piste’, we try the rather wacky Italian idli fry (Rs 105) that sees chopped up bits of regular idli tossed in a hot pan with a squirt of olive oil and served with a sprinkling of herbs like oregano and shavings of cheese. Carrying the experimental leitmotif a bit further, we try the chocolate idli waffle (Rs 155) that almost tastes like a sour buttermilk waffle, thanks to the tangy idli batter it is made with.

We end our eating marathon with a ghee-enriched bowl of the utterly satisfying kesari (Rs 55) also known as sheera to us Mumbaikars. This one is all good things a sweet send-off should be—memorable and more-ish. Just like our twin ‘tiffin’ sessions have been.             

AT: Idli Didli Doo, Devkunj Bldg., Shivaji Park, Dadar (W).

TIME: 8am to 9pm

CALL: 9372463949         

 (An edited version of this review appeared in the 14th August 2020 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 17 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/time-for-tiffin/22934215)                                           

Fusion Flavours!

Anglo-Indian cuisine, India’s ‘original fusion cuisine’ is a fascinating one that’s spiced with centuries of history and culture.   

By Raul Dias

As one of India’s most underrepresented cuisines, Anglo-Indian food and its wonderful cache of fusion dishes is all but a lost legacy. Once the mainstay of colonial-style gentlemen’s clubs and railway canteens overseen by khansamas, Anglo-Indian cuisine is slowing inching out of the woodwork. All this, thanks to efforts of people like Bridget White Kumar—author of several cookbooks on this unique cuisine who are seeking a revival of dishes that hold within them centuries of history and culture. The latest boost comes in the form of the recent opening of India’s first true-blue Anglo-Indian cuisine restaurant, Anglow in New Delhi’s Khan Market.
We look at some classic Anglo-Indian dishes that have stood the test of time here in India…

Jalfrezi and Pepper Water
This two-part Anglo-Indian dish is a strange one given its geographical antecedents. The former part of the dish was born in erstwhile Calcutta when it served as the capital of India right up to 1772. Derived from the Bengali word jhal parhezi which means “hot dish”, the vegetable stew—that’s tempered with mustard oil—is always served with a thin broth-like side dish called pepper water. The latter itself came from another British strong-hold of the then Madras Presidency, where the tamarind pulp-based dish is more-commonly known as rasam or saaru.

Chicken Country Captain
This three-way fusion dish is an amalgamation of the Italian chicken stew of cacciatore, a British roast chicken and an Indian korma. Named after the captains of the ‘country ships’ owned by the British East India Company, in whose galleys this dish took shape, the red-hued preparation is a sweet-n-spicy chicken gravy best mopped up with slices of crusty bread.

Ball Curry and Yellow Rice
Taking the very British dish of meatball stew and giving it an Indian flip, this quintessential Anglo-Indian classic sees the introduction of thick coconut milk added to the stew that’s further spiced width cumin and coriander powder. This Anglo Sunday lunch staple is always served with an accompanying duo of sides that take the form of a sunshine yellow turmeric rice and a devil’s chutney made from Kashmiri chillies, tomatoes, sugar and vinegar.

Spiced Allahabad Fruit Cake
This dense, rich confection—that is part of the edible legacy left behind by the once strong Anglo-Indian community of Allahabad—best defines this fusion cuisine. While desi ghee stands in for the regular fruit cake shortening of butter, giving the cake a slight savoury edge, local Indian spices like nutmeg, saunf (fennel powder) and sonth (dried ginger powder) make it typically Anglo-Indian. Further augmenting this mélange is the use of petha (candy pumpkin) that replaces the once hard-to-procure candied fruit peel that had to be imported in from good ol’ Blighty. Today, Allahabad’s famous bakery Bushy’s on Kanpur Road is one of the few places where one can still get a slice of this unique cake.

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the March 2020 issue of Travel 360, the in-flight magazine of Air Asia India)

Deliciously ‘desi-baroque’

Dishing out some innovative, modern Indian fare in a decidedly kitsch setting, this new Shivaji Park restaurant is an interesting addition to the city’s culinary landscape!

By Raul Dias

Michael Jackson in the full Mughal-e-Azam-esque garb of Shahzada Salim is staring down at us. Overhead, a ring of brass bells threatens to start pealing every time a gust of wind surges in as the main door opens. The wall behind us is encrusted with huge pearls and other assorted coloured glass stones. Then suddenly the singer seated at the small stage next to us breaks into a fusion version of the Raag Malhar that seems appropriate, as the rain is pouring buckets outside. 
And no, in case you were wondering, we aren’t alluding to some sort of substance-induced trip we recently went on. In fact, we weren’t even drinking anything more potent than table water at that point. We were simply there for a lunch visit to check out the brand new Tanatan restaurant that recently replaced the very popular China Bistro in the Shivaji Park neighbourhood of Dadar.
Desi-baroque. That’s the best way to describe this rather over-the-top restaurant with its embellished walls and intricately carved, backlit jaali screens. All this combined with a menu that’s replete with an array of modern Indian dishes and a few fusion ones thrown in.
Take for example the very innovative and delicious vegetarian khow suey samosa (Rs 320) that came to the table sitting in six shot glasses filled with a tangy coconut milk- and galangal-based sauce. The wackily named tarbooz without booze (Rs 255)—a fragrant watermelon and star anise mocktail—had a nice tart lemony finish to it and was the perfect foil to our robustly spiced mains.
With its crisp, wafer-like accompanying bread giving it a great textural element, the Mangalorean kori roti bowl (Rs 574) was generously portioned with juicy chicken bits enrobed in a bright orange chilli-coconut gravy. Reminding us of a well-made haleem and prefect for a rainy day, the cooker wali gosht khichdi (Rs 570) was the ultimate comfort food dish. Each gooey mouthful of spicy lentils and rice enhanced with the umami taste of tender chunks of mutton that also gave the preparation some meaty heft.
However, we weren’t entirely convinced of the freshness of the dal Bukhara (Rs 340) that though edible, tasted a bit off with none of the expected smoky, buttery goodness to it. Even the quinoa rosemary kulcha (Rs 110) that we used to mop up the dal was a big disappointment with its burnt taste overshadowing any hint of delicate rosemary.
That aberration aside, we’d happily go back to Tanatan for seconds…and maybe even thirds! 
      

AT: Tanatan, Vidya Bhavan, Opposite Sena Bhavan, Shivaji Park, Dadar West.
TIME: 12 pm to 1.30 am
CALL: 68493253

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 12th September 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/deliciously-desi/21715192)

Of ‘Elevated’ Evenings!

Exhuding a relaxed, laid-back vibe, and an uncomplicated food and drink menu, this poolside rooftop space is a cool new addition to the Bandra restobar scene.

By Raul Dias

Curious as to the underpinnings of this brand new Bandra restobar’s rather unusual name—Oheka—our pre-visit due diligence yielded to us an interesting insight. An acronym using the first several letters of each part of its creator’s name, Otto Hermann Kahn, Oheka Castle in Long Island, New York is one of the few ‘castles’ in the US built on a truly epic scale.
Back in Mumbai and replacing the popular Amanzi Sky Deck & Bar, the rooftop Oheka is an interesting evening-only space. Nestled in the midst of lush foliage that gives it a relaxed, tropical vibe, the poolside space has a private cabana and a cantilevered transparent deck that seems to ‘float’ over the swimming pool. There is also a lounge area in the main building done up in dark coloured accents.
Being one of the first patrons of the evening, we were offered a choice of seating. We chose the pool deck, where we could see swimmers taking laps below our table, as we sipped on our cocktails. While both our first choices—the sugar free, whisky and lapsang tea smokey Lucifer (Rs 525) and a banana-based riff on a pina colada, the plantains colada (Rs 475)—were disappointingly unavailable, we made do with our second choices.
The spicy and decidedly Thai-flavoured boon-me (Rs 475) was a deliciously tall libation with its white rum, kaffir lime and bird’s eye chili parts shining through. Served in a brandy snifter the whisky- and watermelon-based citron melon slush (Rs 475) was paradoxically both smoky and citrus-y at the same time, making for a ripper of a cocktail.
Brought to our table within minutes of placing our order, the thrash can nachos (Rs 240) were presented beautifully in a tin can that our server dramatically upturned onto the serving plate. A cascade of nacho chips, refried beans, and sour cream all enrobed in a silky cheese sauce ensued. Though we did try our very best to seek out the promised guacamole sauce which seemed to have been missing from the otherwise simple and tasty bar snack.
Our order of the Oheka signature lal maas lamb tacos (Rs 340) had us devouring three generously portioned tacos that were actually mini phulkas with a tangy stuffing of pulled, spicy lamb and raw red onions. Egged on by our server, we gave the parmesan crusted chicken (Rs 410) a go, only to be faced with mixed reactions. While the breaded and flattened fried chicken breast was both tender and juicy, sitting atop a bed of smooth mashed potato and accompanied by a rocket and cherry tomato salad, it was the mushroom sauce that let the dish down. Not only was said sauce criminally salty, but it had also split, resulting in an unappealing, lumpy puddle around the chicken.
And while we’ve already promised ourselves a repeat visit to Oheka soon, we hope the next time round it’s a perfect 10! 
                 
AT: Oheka, 3rd floor, C’est La Vie, Near Holy Family Hospital, Hill Road, Bandra West.
TIME: 7 pm to 1.30 am
CALL: 9324029879

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 29th July 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 21 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/of-elevated-evenings/21437163)

Two Steps Ahead!

Giving us a whole other perspective to the oft-abused term ‘fusion food’, this two-month-old Tardeo restaurant steps up the game with some well-imagined Indo-Western fare.

By Raul Dias

“Confusion” is a word that almost always crops up when we’re contemplating the term ‘fusion food’. This, thanks to scores of restaurants—both in Mumbai and around the country—we’ve visited over the years that seem to lose the plot so criminally when it comes to the very tricky coupling of two different cuisines. A skill that is a lost art at most places, sadly. We’d almost begun to get a tad despondent and desperate to find an eatery that would help us get back on to that ‘fusion’ bandwagon.
A few days ago, we almost struck foodie Valhalla when we chanced upon One Step Up that sits perched on the busy Tardeo main road. Done up with bold accents—hints of which show up in the colourful crockery, comfortable teal-hued sofas and the ambient, bright green (faux) foliage—the three-levelled restaurant, with its large bay windows and swooping indoor staircase, is perfect for a leisurely lunch.
We started off with the cheesy goodness of the super innovative pav bhaji fondue (Rs 329) that came to our table just like a real fondue should—in a ceramic pot, sitting atop a small tea light lit burner, with a side of crunchy buttered croutons in lieu of the traditional laadi pav. The generously-filled quartet of Chettinad chicken quesadillas (Rs 329) had a piquant hit to them that was tempered down by the accompanying bowl of sour cream.
Redolent with the spicy taste of cinnamon and cloves along with the cooling trio of apple, cranberry and passion fruit juices, our fire n angel mocktail (Rs 260) was perfectly made. As was the peach ice tea (Rs 200) where the taste of the fruit shone through the refreshing libation that was very evidently made in-house and not bottled as we had imagined.
To shake things up a bit, for one of our mains, we opted for the grilled fish with lemon butter (Rs 349). This was one of the restaurant’s few non-fusion dishes on the menu. Although we found ourselves staring down at four generous filets of the ubiquitous, boring old basa, the way the fish was cooked elevated it. A flavourful garlic sauce, creamy mash and a medley of sautéed veggies made it a winner. Passing the risotto test with its creamy arborio rice, the almost neon green coloured saagwala chicken risotto (Rs 349) was delicate and vibrant at the same time, with the leafy saag flavour shining through.
At the behest of our very enthusiastic server, we gave the guava chili panacotta (Rs 249) a go for dessert. And we weren’t disappointed. With a wobbly jiggle and a fiery chili finish to it, the creamy, guava-rich Indo-Italian concoction ticked all the boxes, while showing us that there is some hope for the future of fusion food in Mumbai, after all!               

AT: One Step Up, Shop no 1A/1B/1C, C wing, Dadarkar Compound, opp. Film Center, Tardeo.
TIME: 12 pm to 1.30 am
CALL: 9619083952

(An edited version of this review appeared in the 9th July 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 20 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/two-steps-ahead/21310176)

A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E: Traditional Bahraini Breakfast

By Raul Dias

I’m greeted with an emphatic “namaste!” at the first place I stop at, while “kaise ho?” is what I’m asked at the second. It’s a mere three hours into my first visit to the 33-island archipelago in the Persian Gulf known as Bahrain and I can see India referenced almost everywhere I go. But then the Manama Souq—which is where I am—is no stranger to Indian culture and in this case, food.
Fronted by the impressive Bab Al Bahrain or ‘Gateway to Bahrain’, this heaving marketplace is the
nation’s capital Manama’s nerve center; as it has been for years. It is also where centuries of trade ties
with India—mainly involving pearls and spices—have been fostered and nurtured. It’s early in the
morning and a traditional Bahraini breakfast is what I’m craving for after hearing about it from my friend and de facto Bahrain guide Zahra.
Settling down at a local coffee house with our tall, frosted mugs of saffron sherbet in front of us, I wait in anticipation for the promised breakfast bonanza to unfold. And what a feast it turns out to be! We begin with the breads, where an unusually fishy taste in one of them intrigues my palate. It turns out to be the mihyawa which is a roomali roti-like folded bread that’s sprinkled with fish sauce. Next, I tear into the khubooz which is a Persian bread that is very popular in Bahrain. I use this to scoop up the spicy, tangy bayd—a dead ringer for the Parsi scrambled eggs dish we know as akuri.
With the unusual twinning of salty cheese and apricot jam at its core, the triangular shaped, donut-like stuffed zinjubari maintains a fine balance between its sweet and savoury components. It’s the perfect foil to the two kinds of luba I try next. Essentially a tangy beans’ stew, the first iteration is made with broad beans and cheese, while the other with red beans and tomato sauce was not at all dissimilar to a spice-bereft rajma back home.
Simly called aloo, the cumin redolent sautéed potato dish, I am told, is an out and out knock-off of India’s ubiquitous zeera aloo. Another one of the breads intrigues me and it’s the pau. A fusion of a classic Bambaiyya vada pav and a Kutchi dabeli, this mashed potato-stuffed sandwich is even anointed with a garnish of crunchy sev noodles and pomegranate seeds!
Speaking of noodles, the last dish in my Bahraini breakfast procession is balaleet which is another sweet-savoury aberration. This one sees saffron-saturated vermicelli noodles cooked in ghee and sugar, crowned with a fluffy, savoury egg omelette that adds not just a contrasting texture, but an unusually yummy flavour when mixed with the sweet noodles.
From sweet with savoury and Bahraini with Indian, fusion was never this fabulous. Trust me!

(This column first appeared in the 17th September 2017 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/the-bahraini-breakfast/article19697500.ece)

A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E: Bal Mithai Gateau

By Raul Dias

Blame it on the food purist in me, but the word ‘fusion’ has always been a big, bad word in my culinary lexicon. I’ve never seen merit in “consciously coupling” two (or more!) cuisines or cooking styles and coming up with a third, highly ersatz reflection of its progenitors.
But all that changed one chilly Uttarakhand evening as I sat down for a Euro-Garhwali fusion dinner on the lawns of the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa. While the elaborate meal was a procession of dishes—like a patty made from stinging nettle, locally known as bicchu ghas—that well-referenced this unusual cuisines’ partnership, it was the dessert served at the very end that made me a convert. The Bal Mithai Gateau.
For the uninitiated like myself, bal mithai is a terrific and calorific favourite post-prandial indulgence among the Garhwalis. The brown chocolate-like fudge is the laborious result of cooking khoya (evaporated milk cream) with cane sugar, until it takes on a dark brown caramel-esque hue. When still warm, the gooey mass is rolled in small white sugar balls, not dissimilar to the homeopathic medicine ones.
In his rendition of the dessert, Chef Sidharth Bhardwaj the resort’s executive chef sends out his iteration of the bal mithai as a gateau. Here, bal mithai is combined with a vanilla sponge cake, lemon zest, meringue and whipped cream and then set in a mould. Once chilled, it is then drizzled with rose syrup and served on a plate that’s smeared with berry compote for a tart contrast.
Once ready to serve, it is covered with a pink, freshly spun cotton candy dome and flambéed table-side, aided by a splash of brandy. The melting cotton candy bonnet reveals the creamy bal mithai gateau at its core. And as the saying goes, the rest is (edible) history!

(This column first appeared in the 27th August 2017 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/bal-mithai-gateau/article19554198.ece)

Risotto—Desi Ishtyle!

From a chicken cafreal-laced iteration to one that eschews the more the de rigueur arborio rice in favour of gobindobhog rice—the risotto is being re-imagined by Mumbai restaurants and how…

By Raul Dias

Venice to Lucknow
This culinary hybrid is made by infusing the spirit of Lucknow and Venice by marrying ingredients and flavours from the two food capitals of the world. The rice used is basmati and arborio in equal quantities and is delicately flavoured with Awadhi spices like mace, dried rose petals and green cardamom, and then scented and soaked with Merlot. A quartet of juicy galouti kebabs are topped over the risotto with farm fresh veggies and parmesan cheese, with desi ghee to finish it off. The dish is accompanied by a glass of Italian red wine and a spicy flat bread.
At Jeon, Hotel Sea Princess, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Call 26469500
Cost Rs 1,099

Sambhar Risotto
While one might argue that this one seems like a jazzed-up version of a humble sambhar rice, let us assure you that this risotto is anything but! Firstly, good quality, perfectly al dente arborio rice is used as its base, to which a tangy, thick sambhar sauce is introduced. Secondly, continuing the desi motif, curry leaves and fried methi (fenugreek) fronds are sprinkled all over the dish, further accentuating its Indian leanings.
At Canto Cafe and Bar, 534, BCMA, SVP Road, Opera House
Call 49711813
Cost Rs 360

Chicken Cafreal Risotto
A riff on the tangy Goan cafreal, this colonial-desi-inspired risotto is served with a grilled chicken breast. Adapted from a Portuguese-Mozambican slave recipe, cafreal is a marinade made from fresh coriander leaves, mint, spices and toddy vinegar. The flavour of the toddy vinegar is what elevates the entire risotto, which is then garnished with parmesan shavings and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
At Radio Bar, Hotel New Castle, Linking Road, Bandra West
Call 9769755542, 9769355503
Cost Rs 450

Dal Makhani Risotto
The perfect amalgamation of Indian flavours and Italian techniques in one dish. The richness of dal makhani, cream and risotto rice with a goat’s cheese garnish is not just filling, but comforting too. One bite of this risotto is enough to bring back to you your Dadi’s homemade food memories, reminding you that a little nostalgia is always great.
At The Terrace, Hotel King’s International Compound, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Call 9665295999
Cost Rs 445

Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto with Gobindobhog Rice
In this signature dish of the brand-new eatery, they use the famous short grain, aromatic rice called gobindobhog from Bengal in lieu of the traditionally used arborio rice. This is because the former has the right amount of starch to give the risotto its creamy texture. The addition of the sweet potato leaves and the very desi mustard oil is in keeping with T&T’s philosophy of embracing the best of regional produce and locally-sourced ingredients in a dish, yet serving it with a fresh take.
At Toast & Tonic, Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej Building, ​​BKC, Bandra East
Call 26534722/7777049774
Cost Rs 460

(An edited version of this article appeared in the 9th June 2017 issue of the of Mid-Day newspaper, http://www.mid-day.com/articles/italian-risotto-desi-mumbai-restaurants-food-news/18322196)