Where have all the Sorpatels gone ... searching for Goan food at Bandra

I wrote about the lack of Parsi and Bengali restaurants at Bandra a while back.

But what about paucity of Catholic, Goan and East Indian places? These communities form the core of Bandra. The secret behind, I strongly believe, Bandra's cosmopolitan and all encompassing nature.

Your best for Goan food would be Candies with its mutton and vegetable chops. Mutton and prawn puffs with East Indian Masala. Its roast chicken and the slightly rare, but very good and authentic, sorpatel. Still Candies with its Ham and cheese sandwich, Sushi, Thai Curry, Hot Dogs, Rendang, Lasagne and Dal Makhni strikes me more as a World Cafe than a Goan place. And they don't have Goan Sausage fry or Vindaloos! They occasionally offer Goan prawn and fish curries though.

Then you have a couple of places near Holy Family Hospital at Hill Road. American Express, which is actually more a sandwich and pastry place. And Hearsch's which has one East Indian masala based vegetable (!) roll. Rest of its menu consists of anonymous biriyanis, burgers, chicken lollipops, mutton samosas and Hakka noodles.

There is a place called Andora close to that area. I believe that the fare is similar to Candies. Never been there myself. Any reviews folks?

There are couple of new Goan restaurants close by. One is Simply Goa at Khar. The menu here is limited but didn't fail to disappoint us on both our visits. The other one is Cafe Goa, a place that seemed to be desperate to cash on to the allure of brand Goa, without being the real Mc Coy. All glamour and no Goa.

As far as I know the only place to get Pork Sorpatel, apart from Candies, and Vindaloo at Bandra is Jude's Cold Storage at Pali Naka. They keep frozen home made versions of these which you can pop into the microwave and eat.

Most cold storages keep Goan Sausages. If you want to have them, buy some, and fry them yourselves. If you are nice K will share her foolproof recipe with you.

Or head to Martin's near Strand at Colaba. The Beef Steak Fry with onions, Goan sausage fry and Pork Vindaloo there are highly recommended.

Post Script: Suggestions and tips on where to get good Goan food or East Indian at Bandra are more than welcome

Look who's coming to dinner

We'd gone off on a South Mumbai expedition this Sunday.

Lunch had to be at Churchill at Colaba Causeway with its creamy Prawn Newberg.

We crossed over to another shop for desserts. I settled down with a melt in the mouth 'crumbled walnut chocolate brownie'. The brownies at this shop compete with the best in the world. A bite into them sets off rivulets of sheer bliss and ecstasy. My black coffee, with milk on the side, was just right. The coffee was strong and hot. Just what one needed for the long drive home. A polite school girl came and asked K if she could borrow an empty chair from our table. We smiled and said yes. And slipped into a beatific late afternoon. The world could not be more beautiful.

Suddenly a shriek pierced the general joy de vivre. Everyone started jumping around. Couple of the school girls darted towards us. As did a couple of the waiters. They all pushed themselves back against the glass fronted pastry shelf.

Turned out there was a rat. Not a cute little Mickey Mouse or Stewart Little. A big, grey hairy bugger. He created havoc while everyone jumped all across the shop. K was sitting and giggling. I stood up in attention with a grim face. There was some mirth in the room. But I was firmly with the shrieking gang.

One of the waiters then showed the dribbling skills of a Ronaldo and kicked the four legged patron out through the shop door. People slowly settled down. Things went back to normal.

There were at least five foreigners there. They seemed bemused. Ticking of the Slumdog/ Shantaram part from their itinerary. This is the sort of thing which gets shops shut down in their part of the world after all. Thankfully Danny Boyle was not amongst them. He would get crucified by us if he showed a similar scene in a movie.

What took my goat was the fairly blase attitude of the staff and the lady behind the counter. Everyone pretended that nothing had happened. That the unwanted guest did not exist. No apology. Nothing.

I had ordered a croissant to take home for Monday's breakfast. They had already brought it to our table. Am still a bit undecided about whether I should have it.

Like Winston Smith, in Orwell's 1984, I hate rats.

Post Script: In case you are wondering, I have been requested to be kind on the place.

'The butter to my bread, the breath to my life' ... Sante and other Pali Market treasures

I am quite sure that watching Julie and Julia on Friday night set the tone for Saturday morning.

To start with I had the most delectable sausage puff at Candies for breakfast. I have had them before. But the one I ate this time was a masterpiece. The crust was just right. The sausage was oh so juicy and tender. A pate in a bag. I could hear Julia Child say Bon Appetit with each bite. No wonder my Mom is so fond of the sausage puffs here.




We then headed to Sante at Pali Market. Sante is to expats in Mumbai what Little India is to Indians in Singapore. It looks like one of those little pasta and provision shops at Bern. They have a delectable range of imported cheeses, cold cuts from across the world, fresh confectioneries including chocolate eclairs highly recommended by a fellow foodie, butters, dips and sauces, fresh sushi and condiments. You won't be the only one if you think you have stepped into Europe when you step into Sante.



I had picked up some cheese during our recent trip to Switzerland which got over in a week. One of them was Gruyere. I had fallen in love with this stoic little Swiss cheese with a grainy texture. I had asked for it in a fancy super market here. The guy at the counter had a blank face. K then picked up some for me at Sante. One bite and I knew it was the real thing. It brought back memories of Montreux where I had my first taste of Gruyere.

I went to Sante on Saturday morning looking for something new. The genial lady at the counter, suggested that I try out the cheeses first. I had a bite of smoked pepper which had a strong smoked taste and is a must have for those who are fond of the smoked stuff. I then tried a Gouda with pesto. One bite and I was sold on to it. It had the crusty, salty flavour of an old sailor's tales of the high seas. The texture was stiff to touch, pliant to bite into. A Trophy Gouda if there ever was one. The basil of the pesto gave a breath of freshness and bounciness to this rather formal and serious cheese.

I packed 100 g of it and took it home. I wish I could share the lovely aroma, that wafted across our kitchen when I unwrapped the cheese, with you.


Sante is four years old. Popular with the expat community as well as with well travelled locals. It has a personal touch unlike super market gourmet counters. The lady managing the shop knew her cheese. She used to get Raclettes home from her trips abroad before they were available in India. I looked at her in new light as I myself had just discovered Raclette. We spent a few moments discussing her Raclette grill and my blasphemous method of grilling Raclette in the micro. Which, by the way, turned out pretty well.

If I am going to buy expensive cheese then I am going to buy it from folks who know their cheese.




A few steps down the market and you come across fruit and vegetable stalls. Avocado, parsley, basil, thyme, lemon grass, rosemary, Thai brinjals, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, bird's eye chillies, dill ... you will get whatever you need to go with your exotic pickings at Sante in these humble little stalls.

Sante is located just beside Marks, the lovely cold storage, run by the warm and charming D'Sousas. We have often stopped by there to chat with this charming couple while we pick up chicken drumsticks and streaky bacon and scrap (a mix of chopped cold cuts). You might end up going there for meat and come back with a new recipe from Mrs D. And a compliment from her on how much weight you have lost. Oh, all right, the last part applies to the Missus and not to me.

Hidden inside Pali Market is Meghna Agro, a super efficient cold storage, run by Jatin Bhaarat Bhalla. That's the place to call (26413712/ 26518151) if you want call for meats and within a specified time frame. Jatin will quietly take your order and send his boys with the correct quantity, in the committed time and with a computerised bill. His stuff is great too.

Roughly opposite Marks and beside Soul Fry is Deepak Wines (26008468). An alcohol shop open late into the night. Ever willing to send whatever you order and whatever be the quantity. From Officer's Choice to any of the Johnny Walker labels, from Kingfisher to Corona... they have it all.

And in the lane parallel to Pali Market you will find the Knife furiously typing away on Finely Chopped.

The shroud of anonymity ... blogging versus reviewing

I did a review of a restaurant called Derby at Khar for Feastguru sometime back.

I am still undecided about whether I like doing organised reviews or not. I have done 4 or 5 so far at Zenzi, Tea Centre, Flags and Penne. All for Feastguru.

The biggest plus point of an organised review is that you get free food. At the risk of sounding snobbish, this would have been a big thing ten years back. Not so much now unless its a five star perhaps. Of course one does get to try out a range of dishes which you can't do if you are alone. And occasionally one gets to meet some interesting folk from the world of food such as Chef Max of Penne and Bakul who was Tea Centre earlier.

On the negative side you know that the restaurant folks are on their best behaviour. Plus you are there as a guest and tend to feel squeamish about baring all. In fact I had started food blogging as I was peeved by saying fake, saccharine filled sponsored food and travel shows on Indian television. So I have to make an effort to stay true to that.

My blogging on the other hand is straight from the gut. In most cases restaurant folks don't know who I am and I get to see them in their natural behaviour. I praise when I want to. And don't hold back any punches if I disapprove of what I see. It's a personal initiative. Like most Bloggers one is driven by passion and of course comments and feedback. It is my space and I can write without any compulsion or obligation or editorial intervention (which is rarely there in Feastguru).

Blogging has its limitations too. Its based on personal visits and you only get to read about what the blogger orders. Visits are impromptu and one might not have the camera at all times. Or take down notes without becoming a social misfit. What you get is first hand but limited report.

So how was Derby? The chicken wrapped in cabbage was healthy and had us asking for more. The grilled mushroom won the unique record of being the first vegetarian and grilled dish ever to be asked for once again by three Bengalis (I took a couple of readers cum friends along). The tangy chicken entree was nice. The food was European flavoured with Garam Masala.

Well here's the thing. Our enterprising host Chef Saif cooked up a special spread for us. These dishes are not available on the menu. So how do I tell you what to expect when you go there?

Still here's the

piece

that I wrote for more details on Derby. Do you find a difference in my Feastguru piece versus what you usually find on Finely Chopped?

Grilled mushroom: I would be a lot trimmer if healthy food was so tasty

Chicken wrapped in cabbage... very delicate and light

Tangy chicken: Lebanon meets Lucknow

A nice dark beauty of a mousse

Our bubbly host Chef Saif and two fellow Inglourious Finely Choppers

Celebrating Bandra with our mouths full... Bandra Gymkhana

Last night couldn't have been scripted better by Bourdain. An impromptu meet with friends. A rock concert by the sea at Carter Rd with a girl jumping like there was no tomorrow as she belted out her heavy metal. A quick retreat to the food festival at Bandra Gymkhana. A change of scene with families dancing to a band singing Susanna. The Wife rushing back from work at the promise of roast pork. Whipping the cabbie to fly across town. Stalls of Just BBQ, apparently the only gas barbecues in India. And Cambay Prawn stall with fliers proclaiming that prawns weren't injurious to health. Bandra restaurants - Lucky, Kwik Wok, Kareem's, Cafe Goa Stalls. All ignored for the Bandra Gym Club Food in the corner. Sexy Naughty Grilled Pork sausages. Chicken sausages? What's that? Sorpatel, which was, well not quite Sorpatel, and a bit salty too. Meeting Sannas, the Goan soft bread which looks like idlis, for the first time. Helped cut the acrid Sorpatel taste. Roast Honey Pork. The diva of the evening. Three plates and still didn't seem enough. Oodles of fat, more sinful than Kamathipura ever could be. Each bite was a lifetime of joy and happiness. Stalls manned by the affable Mr Jonas and his hard working boys. And a bar where beer was almost cheaper than it was in shops. Peals of laughter as tummies became round and happy. Memories of Mithunda songs and B grade horror films exchanged as taste breakers between courses. A change of scene to Amore for Gelatos. Icy desserts which helped cooled down the steamy passion of pork. We Celebrated Bandra. And how!

'Alice, Alice who the HELL is Alice'

'Prawns are good for the health'

Gas grills, environment friendly

Honey roast pork... Whatever you do, wherever you go, I'll be right here waiting for you

Sorpatel ... rubbing salt into our wounds. Didn't have the sour bite of toddy

Try asking for chicken sausages in a Catholic Club

Mr Jonas keeps an eagle eye. The food was hot and fresh and ample thanks to him.

Debating over their favourite Mithunda song. For the record, the beer was the photographer's

And finally some gelato to calm down our passion for pork

OK here's the bad news, the Bandra Gymkhana food festival is now over. But don't jump out of the window! There are Neighbourhood Food Festivals on 27th (St Annes Church Road) and 28th November (Mt Mary Steps) at 7 PM

Your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman: Khane Khas

I was shaken and stirred last evening by a series of cataclysmic sneezes.

Didn't feel like having leftovers or anything spicy or my favourite comfort food of hummus and pita bread. I wanted something hot and comforting. I called up Khane Khas for help. I didn't have Nigella's number.

Here's how the call went:

Act 1

Me: Hello

Mr K K: Khane Khas (in a cheerful tune)

Me: I would like have a ddak khichdi and an alu ka tuk. Am calling from Confidence Apts

Mr KK (in a concerned voice): Sir, you haven't called in a while

Me: (some quick thinking) But I ordered 6 rumali rotis last night

Mr KK: True but you haven't ordered in a while before that

Me (giggling bashfully): Well we have a maid and she cooks now. That's why we don't order

Mr KK: How's the food blogging going sir?

Me: Oh, its going fine, thanks, I occasionally write for British Airways now

Mr KK: So glad to hear it sir. Your order will be with you soon

It's Sunday and Banu is off. She is a bit like Sehwag. I can just sit back and relax when she comes. Things are taken care of. 'When she comes' is the operative word though. She bunks like there is no tomorrow. I was OK with left over kosha chicken for lunch but not two day old rice. So I called up Khane Khas again.

Act II

Me (hesitantly): Hello

Another Mr KK (cheefully): Khane Khas

Me: I am calling from Confidence Apartments, er, could you please send me two roomali rotis please?

Mr KK: Sure sir

Me (sheepishly): Er, there is no hurry. You can send it whenever a delivery guy comes here

Mr KK (laughs): Not a problem sir we will send it to you, thanks

Post Script: The 2 roomali rotis (Rs 24 or 0.5 cents USD) are resting on my kitchen platform. Is it any wonder that I love these guys so much? And might I add, its not just because my initials are KK too.

The number of Khane Khas is 26006970

Chicken Kosha for the bad back

My bad back started a few years back after I picked up some heavy suitcases while returning from Goa, had an untrained massage at the beach there on my birthday, came back home and bent down to whack a cockroach ... ping!

Since then its been a series of intermittent painful stiff back moments, solitary confinements, life scarring experiences (MRI), unfashionable belts, acupuncture needles, homeopathic sugar pills, knock out pain killers, ginger steps and diathermy. The pain becomes fine for a while and then gets back like a nagging spouse.

The last two weeks have been ones of pain. Pain killers, diathermy, belt happened. But there was one thing which really worked.

Cooking!

Last Sunday I had friends over. Cooked four dishes. Not an inch of pain. Of course it helped that I am not one of Julia Child's 'servant less American housewives'. Having Banu to chop makes a huge difference.

Pain followed through the week.

Then we had another dinner yesterday. One of those who couldn't make it on Sunday wanted to come and have at least one dish cooked by me. One dish?. I don't do just one dish. So decided to replicate Sunday's menu - doi maach (which turned out well), Funghi Fellini (with spring onions and lime added this time) , kosha chicken instead of kosha mangsho as the group yesterday were not into red meat, pulao rice and remixed a Green moong daal made by Banu. Why mess with a winning mix?

I was not pleased with the consistency of my kosha chicken in the past. I used to use the pressure cooker. That worked well with mutton as one wanted to bludgeon the meat into submission. Chicken kosha became watery though. A fellow blogger had suggested not using a pressure cooker. So this time I used a saucepan on an open flame. It turned out to be sublime. Just the way I envisaged it. I felt like the way Satyajit Ray must have after he saw his favourite film Charulata for the first time.

Our famous veggie friend, the one who lost 35 kilos, and has avoided food after that, got excited by the mushrooms again. I was really impressed when he pointed, out after tasting the dish, that I had used lime juice instead of vinegar this time. And no pepper. I often guess the ingredient after tasting a dish myself. Didn't expect a vegetarian who was off food to do the same. I saw him in a new light. He sweetly said that the mushrooms this time were even better than last time's.

In fact their was another vegetarian last night who was a new addition to our dinner group. She has converted to vegetarianism. But loves the world of food and introduced me the Peter Mayle's amazing books on Provence. These book are highly recommended to anyone who likes to read travel stories centred around food. She got very excited by the daal which I remixed with some ghee, whole cumin seeds and green chillies. And got us a great selection of tarts and mousses from Birdy's.I am a sucker for a good lemon tart.

I just realised that the post was largely about vegetarians! What to do? The non vegetarians were watching a horror film, Paranormal Activity, in another room. I am a bit undecided on whether I prefer watching a horror film or stick my nose into a stinking gym shoe. Anyway I guess this makes up for the times when I call fellow food lovers and K smiles politely without understanding at the all the fuss is about.

Well to cut a long story short I had a good client presentation in the morning, then watched Kurbaan with some colleagues for an office farewell. Watching a movie in the middle of a workday was the high point as were the samosas. The movie was pedestrian and predictive. An equivalent of the spoofish Scary Movie series for terrorist films. Banu chopped, while I was at the movie. I came home and marinated. Went for a physio session. Came back. Cooked. Four and a half dishes in an hour or so.

Then a house full of friends, chatter and laughter, a bit of Teachers and a lemon tart from my Peter Mayle guru ... and my backache was gone.

Lazy afternoons at work ... Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai

Hard Rock Cafe is a slice of Americana and a capitalist rock icon for folks across the world.

Mine is a very unique take on this international phenomenon. I am not much of a night clubber anymore. This probably explains what I am about to write.

I think that HRC, Mumbai makes a fantastic office outing lunch option.

Consider the facts. It is in the Bombay Dyeing Mills compound near Kamla Mills. It is surrounded by office complexes in the converted Mill Lands of Mumbai. It's fairly empty in the afternoon. The music is nice, classic rock and not too loud. You can hear each other speak. It is dimly lit and feels quite soothing and langurous in the middle of the concrete desert that is Parel. There is an amazing sense of space when its empty. Hard Rock Cafe is quite large by Mumbai standards. It has high ceilings and two floors.

You can stroll around the restaurant. Check out the rock and pop memorabilia - Alice Cooper's guitar, Madonna's bustier (the red one in the pic below), Spice Girls (skirt, black jacket, pink slip in pic), Elton John, Prince & Kylie Minogue's concert outfits, Ray Orbison's guitar, John Lennon's radio and so on. Or just laze and plonk down on the sofas.

They have a lunch deal which is quite neat. About 300 Rs (6 USD) gets you the 'soup of the day', main course (from a list) and a soft drink.

We went there from work a couple of days back.

The soup of the day was mixed veg. It tasted like a Creole Prawn Bisque without prawns. Came with some nice and soft garlic bread. The soup was lukewarm. I asked them to reheat it. Which they did. The service was quite friendly, prompt and well informed. I had an angry tummy and wanted something bland. My order of blackened penne with cottage cheese lived up to this. I couldn't see any blackened part. It was creamy and milky. Devoid of any salt. Portion was huge though.

The food that the others ordered looked good. And most of them liked it too. What I liked was that there was quite a varied range ... pasta, Indian chicken curry, Malay fish curry, burgers (huge and famous apparently), sandwiches and salads. This helps if you are going in a mixed and varied group.

Plus a la carte, coffee and desserts. That's more expensive. And booze of course.

I didn't like my food. So why am I recommending Hard Rock Cafe then? I said it is a good place for the white collared to hang out in the afternoon. Well heeled and yet not too expensive.

Don't expect any Michelin stars though

We don't Finely Chop vegetarians... Funghi Fellini (stir fried mushrooms)

Being a Bengali, married to a Parsi, and a Bourdain fan, it's no surprise that I am a card carrying non vegetarian.

I don't have anything against vegetarians. Though the ones which tend to pontificate and bully others into going to restaurants of their own choice or not allow others to order non vegetarian food take my goat.

Last Sunday we had a kosha manghso (slow cooked mutton) party for a group of Bengalis. We had one non Bengali vegetarian amongst us. But he's all right. He used to be a non vegetarian once. More importantly his Mom sends us lip smacking Maharashtrian crab and prawn masala. And he designs wonderful templates for my presentations.

I was going to lift the phone and dial for idlis for him. When better sense prevailed. Rustled up an embarrassingly easy vegetarian dish for him. This seemed to kindle a dormant love for food in him. He had lost 35 kilos recently and had not gone to the police about it. He stays away from the sins of the belly. It was a pleasure to see him dig into this dish with gusto. He claims that he had three servings. Though I am bit sceptical given that he ran out to have some frozen yogurt after we were done.

The most vital ingredient for this dish is to have someone else, in my case Banu, to chop everything. The rest is really easy. Ironically I made this vegetarian on one pan and a bheja (goat's brain) masala on another at the same time. And yes, I kept my ladles separate.

So here's the recipe for my Italian inspired stir fried mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 3,4 bland/ non spicy green peppers, 500 g button mushrooms, 1 tomato, 1 bunch of basil leaves - all finely chopped
• Slivers of fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar/ lime juice
• 1 teaspoon oregano powder, ditto chilly flakes, ditto crushed black pepper: spices

Process

• Heat the olive oil in a pan
• Put the mushrooms in the pan
• Let the mushrooms cook till the water comes out and then dries
• Add the fresh ginger and tomatoes, stir
• Throw in the bell peppers, stir
• Once a bit soft, add the spices + the lime/ vinegar + salt, stir
• Add the basil leaves, switch of the flame, cover with a lid and let the dish stew in its juices
• Finito

The basil gave it a sharp, cooling bite, the chilly flakes spiced it up for Indian palates while the mushrooms left one with a peaceful, easy feeling as only mushrooms can.

Incidentally all the non vegetarians dipped into the dish and one had to really protect our out numbered veggie friend (in the blue shirt).

Rocky VII ... cracking the Doi Maach code

Sunday afternoon was billed as a kosha mangsho afternoon for our guests.

I wanted to make a rui fish dish which was different from the garam masala based kosha manghso. So rui kaalia wouldn't work. Both were brown, garam masala and fried onion gravies after all.

My next option was the curd/ yogurt based doi maachh. Problem is that I had never made it before. I wondered whether it would be fair to experiment on our guests.

Still, kosha mangsho done, I set off on a doi maachh (fish in curd) journey.

Disaster struck as the curd base for the curry began to curdle once I put it on the stove. The sauce would have been at home on a lab petri dish. There was no way that I could serve it to the gang of Finely Chopped readers who were coming for lunch. I wouldn't touch it myself. I sat down flummoxed, the fight gone out of me.

I called up my friend Nilakshi who had earlier given me her recipe for doi maach. N was at Gurgaon cooking chicken and shukto for her niece's birthday. She stopped, heard me out and discussed her method again. It seemed to make sense and my anxiety attack began to fizzle out. I decided to try her recipe with one moderation. I would use the microwave in the finishing stage. Compared to an open flame, the heat would be more even and regulated and possibly more gentle for the sensitive curd. Banu and I consulted each other. She too felt that the curd had to be added at the end.

I knew I was taking a risk as the dish had to be cooked just before people ate. Which meant that it could have gone wrong as we were about to sit for lunch. I didn't have a back up plan. I had to get it right the first time. There would be no second chance. No prisoners would be taken.

I steeled myself and decided to give it a shot. My instincts told me that the new method would work. And it did!

The result was sheer poetry in curry. I was thrilled and jubilant to see the dish make a Phoenix like comeback. I had cracked the doi maach code. All thanks to Nilakshi.

So without further ado, here's my sure shot doi maach recipe:

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of rui or river carp, smeared in 1/2 a teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon chilly powder + salt
  
• Curd marinade - 100 g of curd (I use Nestle Probiotic Dahi) + 1 teaspoon chilly powder + 1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin) powder + 1/2 tea spoon sugar + 1/2 tea spoon salt - whipped together in a mixer grinder or beaten (stirred) hard with a spoon. No turmeric


• Gravy base - 1/2 an onion - pasted, 1 tea spoon of ginger paste + 1 teaspoon whole cumin (sada jeera), dry red chillies + as Amitabha says in the comments, 2, bay leaves (tej pata) and some whole garam masala


• Garnish - a spoon of finely chopped coriander and 2 split green chillies, a tea spoon of whole garam masala

Process

• Medium fry the fish

• Put the fish in a microwave cooking bowl and pour the curd marinade on it. Keep it for at least half an hour so that, as Nilakshi puts it, the marinade soaks into the fish

Gravy base:

• Fry the sada jeera in a bit of oil till it sputters. Add a couple of dry red chillies if you want + Amitabh's suggestion of tej pata and some whole garam masala
• Add the onion paste to it and stir till brown
• Add ginger paste, ditto
• Spoon this mix when done onto the fish and curd mix and leave them alone for a while to get acquainted with each other

The final moments (my only contribution to N's recipe)

• Put the mix into a microwave (or oven)
• Switch it on for two minutes
• See if it curdles. It won't
• Switch the micro on for two more minutes
• Your doi maach is ready
• Garnish with coriander and chilly
• Add some whole garam masala on the top if you want to
• Best enjoyed with steamed rice.

The result was a dish that was subtle, light and ethereal. A far cry from my first flopped attempt. Nilakshi and and I had cracked the code.

So who's the daddy now?

Lesson for the day : if you are using curd as the base for your gravy then add it at the end. It curdles in heat otherwise.

Sharmila of kichhu khon suggests adding a bit of besan (gram flour) to the curd to stop it from curdling

Starting the week on a sour note ... Mc Breakfasts

I thought I must quickly write about the horrid breakfast that I had at Mc Donald's, Phoenix Mills. Especially since I waxed eloquent about it earlier.

We had an 8 AM meeting at the neighbouring Peninsular Complex. Trudged down to Mac D after that.

The shop was open. Air con was switched off. My Hash Brown was OK but lukewarm. The Sausage Mc Muffin was horrible, smelly and sour. Three of us had it and each of us hated it with a passion. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it left us with a bad taste. The pancake was fine though.

I was nearly in tears when I saw the Costa oultet on the way out. Should have gone there.

But that's the power of branding. Mc Donald's had branded their breakfasts and we were gullible and hungry adults.

A Finely Chopped Sunday

Today was a Finely Chopped day in the truest sense.

We had friends over whom I had met through the net, some through foodie communities on Orkut and others through this blog. The only one whom we knew in the 'real' world has a Mom who cooks great prawn masala and crab curry. Today he introduced to me a delight called Aamrakhand which is a mango shreekhand where the taste of the mango is fresher and sharper than the usual synthetic ones.

I was up at 7.30 AM, unusual for a Sunday. Decided to begin cooking at 8.30 AM powered by yogurt and muesli. The kosha mangsho was almost done before K woke up. Then Banu arrived to finely chop my veggies and fry the fish while I cooked.




My first attempt at doi maach, rohu in a yogurt sauce, was a disaster as the curd curdled. A call to an old friend, now at Gurgaon, got me her recipe and inspiration and hope to try again. The result was fantastic. More soon on how I cracked the doi maach code.

The next two dishes which I made simultaneously were bheja (goat's brain) masala, a Mumbai Muslim dish, and a mushroom and bell pepper stir fry with herbs for our only vegetarian. I had to keep a special eye on the ladles to see that the organ buster and the pure, no animal killed, dishes didn't mix. Both turned out to be quite popular and the bheja eaters dipped into the mushroom too.

Final round was pulao. Steamed rice, layered with a mix of ghee, milk saffron and garam masala just before serving.

Lunch was ready by about 1220, well before our normal breakfast time on Sunday, and way before our guests arrived.


Chatter, laughter, beer, juices, chips, hungry cries, reheating, stories of courtships, opinions on cities, animated discussions on 'our generation' versus today's, pleasant memories of food, recipes shared, backaches forgotten ... a peaceful easy feeling.

We were showered with gifts ... mishti from Calcutta, mishti doi from Mumbai, Vestal Virgin Aamrakhand, Ferero delights twice over, lovely flowers. The lone vegetarian and non Bengali who didn't chicken out, showed up bravely and got into the spirit of things. The one who braved a bad cold to come. All who gave up their Sunday naps for us. And, best of all, effusive praise from folks who really love their food, know their food and cook great food. Guys you made me a happy man.

The afternoon ended just before dinner when our last guest played some of his own compositions just for K and me. Most of them I am sure will be Bollywood hits very soon. I will remember this evening when these songs play on the F M hit parades.


So five dishes, house managed by the missus, million veggies chopped by Banu, a friend who came to the rescue when things were going wrong, those who broke bread with us, and an old school friend who sent a very, very flattering mail on Facebook from another continent on the blog later in the day.

Yeah. Sundays should be like this.

P S recipes of doi maachh and mushrooms coming up soon