Bowled Over!

Known for its wholesome appeal and colourful components, the meal-in-one bowl is fast becoming one of the hottest international food trends—from its savoury to sweet avatars. Smart Life brings you a few such bowls from across the country.  

By Raul Dias

Almost instantly spelling out the words ‘Comfort Food’ in big, bold alphabets, the one bowl meal has a certain easy-going, pretence-free vibe about it and one that has achieved popularity and hipster-chic credence over the last couple of years. Not only are they a convenient and clever way to mix all of your favourite ingredients together, but for whatever reason food just seems more interesting when served from a bowl!
Be it an Asian-style Buddha bowl, a Korean bibimbap-influenced bowl or a fruit and oats-laden breakfast bowl topped with the very fashionable and au courant sliced avocado and chia seeds, the bowl meal is here to stay.
We’ve compiled a list of a few such bowls here in India that have left us, well…bowled over with their brilliance.

Hot Pot Bowl
At Pra Pra Prank, Gurugram
A hot pot is a classic Mongolian rice dish that is served with various vegetable and meat toppings which come sizzling hot in a stone pot. One gets fantastically browned brunt rice at the bottom of the pot, making this dish extra delicious. In this version of the one bowl meal, wok tossed Schezwan-sauced rice is topped with chicken, water chestnuts, roasted peanuts, sweet corn kernels, chives, mushrooms and fried garlic. What makes this dish even more special is that it gives the diner the unique experience of eating from a sizzling stone bowl into which all the ingredients are mixed in front of them. “I came up with this idea because when we were preparing for our new menu, winter was approaching. And so, I thought that I should present my guests with a memorable experience,” says Chef Aryav, the Executive Chef at Pra Pra Prank. “And I thought that there can be nothing better than a sizzling hot meat and rice dish which stays hot till the last bite!”

Morning Glory Bowl and Tokyo Pork Bowl
At Shibuii, Mumbai
Offering two distinct bowls—one vegetarian and one pork-based—this new Pan-Asian restaurant champions this food trend. To begin with, the morning glory bowl is composed of a serving of morning glory leaves tossed in garlic and chilly and then bathed in yellow bean sauce. This is complimented with steamed aromatic jasmine rice. To complete the meal, the bowl also consists of delicately hand rolled vegetable spring rolls drizzled with a tangy hoisin sauce, which gives the meal that extra something. To add to it, the bowl also includes some starch in the form of finger potatoes in a sweet and spicy sauce.
On the other hand, the Tokyo pork bowl is made up of delicious and succulent chargrilled pork belly slices glazed in a spiced curry broth made with the stock of pork, herbs and vegetables. All this is perfectly paired with steamed jasmine rice with prawn crackers and a hand-rolled spring roll adding some crunch to your meal-in-one bowl.

Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl
At Toast & Tonic  Bengaluru
Generally, this Hawaiian-origin one bowl wonder is a delicious concoction where soy- and sesame oil-marinated raw tuna cubes are served atop vinegared sushi rice. Predominantly a lunch dish, poké (pronounced poh-kay) has taken over the world as a healthy, highly nutritious and fun way to eat fish and rice. Dishing out one of the yummiest iterations of the dish in India we’ve had the pleasure of eating, Toast & Tonic in Bengaluru’s Ashok Nagar does things a little differently with their Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl. Here the traditional sushi rice is substituted for the short-grained and sticky Gobindobhog variety from Bengal, with the bowl topped off with a passion fruit and pineapple vinaigrette, a halved, beetroot-pickled boiled egg and fresh avocado cubes. All of this is then sprinkled with micro mustard greens, shards of nori (dried Japanese seaweed), fried onions and a sprinkling of the very fashionable chia seeds.

Hot Stone Bowl
At Molecule Air Bar, New Delhi
Drawing in great inspiration from the classic Korean dish called bibimbap, the super colourful hot stone bowl served here consists of warm jasmine rice accompanied by various ingredients like water chestnuts, broccoli, peanuts, sprouts, tofu, spring onion, peppers, chicken, with a fried egg sitting atop it. One also gets to choose a sauce of your liking. Here all the ingredients are mixed in a heated stone bowl in front of the guest at their table and served piping hot. “This dish has very warm flavours which are just right for the winter season,” says Mohammed Anas Qureshi, the Brand Chef. “And as it is served in a hot bowl, the dish stays warm for a longer period of time. The whole idea of this dish is to serve our guest something which brings warmth to their dining experience this season.”

Kiwi Banana Smoothie Bowl
At The Daily Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai
We’ve truly saved the ‘sweetest’ bowl on this list for last with the fruity, all-day breakfast treat that is the yummy kiwi banana smoothie bowl at Mumbai’s The Daily Bar & Kitchen. This bowl is made by blending fresh kiwis and chopped bananas with yogurt that is perfect for people following a healthy diet. Coconut powder is incorporated into this mixture for added flavour, post which it is kept in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours. The dish is then served in a bowl and topped with slices of both fruits, delicious toasted granola and some chia seeds to add the right amount of texture. “Banana and Kiwi are my favourite fruits and I usually choose these when I am on the go. Being my staples, I decided to incorporate these two in a smoothie bowl allowing my breakfasts to be super healthy and easy to make,” says Liton Bhakta, Head Chef, The Daily Bar & Kitchen. “Since it worked so well, I decided to add this to The Daily’s menu and ever since it has been the most ordered smoothie bowl!”

(A differently edited version of this piece was first published in the March 2020 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)

Eating Out-Gurugram Style!

No longer relegated to merely being a satellite city of India’s capital New Delhi, Gurugram is one of the most happening places in the NCR with everything from a bustling business district to a dynamic eating out scene. Tapping into the latter, we bring you a serving of six such hotspots that each bestow onto this city some serious bragging rights as a newly-minted foodie haven.  

By Raul Dias

Amaranta
Pushing the culinary envelope further and further over the last few years with its unexpected pairings and presentations—all resulting in a thoroughly modern Indian dining experience—is Amaranta. This fine dining restaurant at The Oberoi Gurgaon is all about celebrating a menu that explores palates and pairings using authentic Indian flavours in a progressive way. Called the ‘play-ted menu’, here one encounters dishes like Indian Ocean lobster sorshe served with an imaginative avocado tartare, the banana leaf sea bass, pumpkin cappuccino or perhaps the chickpea flour cake with onion fritters that takes Indian cuisine to a whole new level. And the setting is no less experimental with its floor-to-ceiling windows that let in natural light and overlook a reflection pool that runs alongside the restaurant.

The Oberoi Gurgaon, 443, Udyog Vihar, Phase V, Gurugram
Tel: 0124- 2451234

Elemenopi
This onomatopoeic sounding restaurant with a wildly eclectic menu offering is the latest global gastronomical venture in Gurugram’s swanky One Horizon Centre. It takes you on a gourmet voyage across countries less travelled. With its tagline ‘Belly Well-Travelled’, this rather experimental dining place is full of exciting offerings for lovers of good food and drinks. The menu cruises around over 10 exotic countries and brings to you some of their iconic delicacies such as mahjouba, skampi na buzaru, cevapi and tuna Nicoise from Algeria, Croatia, Bosnia, and France respectively! Coming from the guys at the The Beer Café chain of restobars, Elemenopi’s prowess in the alco-beverage segment is imperative. It stocks more than 50 varieties of beers from more than 20 countries, apart from the largest collection of wines, cocktails, and other spirits in the city.

Plaza level, One Horizon Centre, DLF Phase 5, Gurugram
Tel: 0124-2575036

Pra Pra Prank
Occupying prime position at Gurugram’s restaurant ‘Ground Zero’—the DLF Cyber Hub—Pra Pra Prank caters to the palate of the comfort seeker and the gourmand alike. Claiming to be the first ‘Playful Brasserie’ in India, this three-month old restobar is all about a menu that is non-conformist and quirky, dotted with dishes that make it a delight for food lovers. From the modern take on universal favourites like karpao chicken fried rice to novel Asian delights like the rainbow sushi to interesting mains like the grilled whole lobster, and the pork belly skewers with kalonji raw mango relish, all are addictive and great accompaniments to innovative drinks like the Japanese negroni and the pop-corn flavoured prohibition pop up cocktail. All this, in a stylish, yet quirkily done up space that features a live sushi bar and an open kitchen.

Shop No. 24, DLF Cyber Hub, DLF Phase 2, Sector 24, Gurugram
Tel: +91-959996582/9599965292

Nagai
Nagai is Japanese for longevity. A Japanese restaurant with roots in Ibiza, this contemporary Japanese restaurant and sake bar is a recent addition to the Gurugram dining out scene. The cuisine here is essentially Japanese with signature dishes that combine Thai, Mediterranean and even Mexican influences. Start with Japanese inspired tapas that go from classic steamed edamame to crispy pork and aubergine skewers. The starters showcase Japanese classics like salmon and tuna tartar with vegan choices like caramelized lotus root with soya and sesame. Sushi being the signature at Nagai, indulge yourself with everything from himachi sashimi to maguro nigiri and uramaki rolls. Mains here are a procession of highly nuanced dishes like, a hearty Japanese curry chicken and even a few Thai dishes thrown in for good measure. But take some time and look at the well-done up space at Nagai. The walls of the restaurant reflect enthralling artwork by Fin DAC, an Irish urban street artist, based in London, who makes large murals of masked women with fashionable style, with an emphasis on their beauty.

#305, Ground Floor, Sector 29, Behind Pllazio Hotel, Gurugram
Tel: +91-9958022300

Prankster
Brimming with an unbridled feeling of youthful energy thanks to its campus like theme, the playful Prankster is a cool-n-casual first-storied restaurant to hang out at with a menu that’s anything but casual. The cuisine here is best described as ‘progressive nostalgic’ where the chefs attempt to fuse numerous indigenous dishes with contemporary techniques and a twist. Expect to find dishes like the choley kulche doughnut which is served with a gaajar achaar mousse, sambhar cappuccino and the nitro dahi bhalla savoury ice cream that not only evoke childhood memories but gives the diner of today a creative and innovative experience which one won’t forget in a hurry. Choose to spend your evening seated at one of the many campus zones like the library, the mixology lab, the amphitheatre or perhaps at the hostel room that is perfect for a private party with its bunker beds and study tables!

8-9-10, Sector 29, Main Market, Gurugram
Tel: 0124-4266653

Pirates of Grill
Just a few years old and already Pirates of Grill is proving to be a magnet for those seeking out a fine dining bar-be-que concept along with a full buffet. Imagine juicy, succulent grills cooking at your own table, and food that keeps coming until your tummy surrenders! Their innovative offerings at unbeatable prices, have made this family-style restaurant a runaway success in Gurugram. Here, one can choose from an assortment of international kabab delicacies and make your own bar-be-que at the table itself. The global cuisine buffet on offer here gives you an option to indulge yourself in around 16 starters, 12 main course dishes and a live dessert counter. One can also enjoy their signatures like the Brazilian Churasco and Moroccan grills along with the fiendishly popular skewered pineapple that’s both sweet and savoury at the same time.   

Shop No. 7-10, MGF Mega City Mall, MG Road, A Block, DLF Sector 28, Gurugram
Tel: 0124-4013333

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the July 2018 issue of  Go-Getter, the in-flight magazine of Go Airways) 

A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E: Prohibition Pop-up Cocktail

By Raul Dias

Lasting for more than a decade, from 1920 right up to 1933, prohibition in the United States was
an era that celebrated the word ‘clandestine’ like no other, thanks to a constitutional ban on the
production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. Surreptitiously hidden
from the nosey authorities, speakeasy bars sprung up in people’s basements and garages across
the country, with alcohol often distilled in bathtubs and kitchen sinks!
These were places where copious amounts of alcohol mingled with the strains of a jazz band,
while flapper-styled girls danced the Charleston till the wee hours of the morn. One often
required a password to enter and was told to keep conversation light and easy, so as to avoid any
unnecessary and attention-drawing flare ups. Hence the term ‘speakeasy’.
Interestingly, even the cocktails that were concocted during this period were often designed to
hoodwink the authorities. In order to mask the strong smell and taste of home distillations such
as hooch and moonshine, several stronger tinctures and tonics like the orange-y Angostura bitters
and grenadine were blended into the cocktails.
Very much on trend today, the prohibition era-style cocktail has spurred on several interesting
iterations the world over. One that I recently came across is particularly interesting. Served at the
new Pra Pra Prank brasserie in Gurugram and simply called ‘Prohibition Pop Up’, this bourbon-
based cocktail is as much a visual delight, as it is deceptively potent.
Inspired by the time people used to have their drinks hidden within the fold of a newspaper, the
cocktail is the sum of its coffee, popcorn-infused bourbon and ginger syrup parts. Topped off
with a dash of spicy bitters and a generous pour of stout at the end, it comes to the table
overflowing with a candied popcorn garnish, all wrapped in a sheet of faux newsprint paper.

(This column first appeared in the 18th March 2018 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/prohibition-pop-up/article23283133.ece)