Fruit Cake Pops for the Season

The day started with measuring out all the ingredients carefully and then getting to bake, and so the preparations began to bake this awesome David Lebovitz cake. So the cakes come out perfect according to me and then I turn out onto the wire rack and the whole thing just crumbled onto the board. I was beyond shocked and screamed an instant "aiiiyyyoo"....Well I was not gonna let this disaster get to me...no way, there was so much of good stuff into this cake my heart wouldn't bear it go for a waste. So after some hard thinking and consultation with Nithya another baking buddy and good friend I converted this cake mess to cake pops and asked Sunehra to get this beauties some boxes to make them complete and ready to be gifted to all my near and dear ones.

Chocolate Cherry Fruitcake - Recipe Courtesy David Lebovitz
Ingredients:
Dried Cherries - 1 1/2 cups, finely chopped
Rum - 1/4 cup (60ml)
All Purpose Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Chocolate Chips - 3/4 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Unsalted Butter - 140gms
Eggs - 2
Egg Yolk - 1
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Milk or Buttermilk - 2/3 cup
Nuts - 1 cup, you could use walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pecans which are well toasted

To make the Cake Pops
Dark Chocolate - 250gms
Vegetable Oil - 2tbs
Whipping Cream - 1 cup
Skewers or Lollipop Sticks - 60 nos
Red Fondant Berries - 60 nos.
Green Fondant Holly Leaves - 60 nos.

A day or so before you make the cake, toss the cherries in ¼ cup of liquor. Cover, and let macerate. To bake the cakes, grease two 9-inch (23 cm) loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper or dust with cocoa powder. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Stir together the eggs and yolk with the vanilla, then dribble them in while beating.Mix in one-third of the flour/cocoa mixture, then half of the yogurt or buttermilk. Then mix in another third of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the yogurt. Finally add the remaining dry ingredients, and gently stir in the nuts, chocolate chips and cherries. (Which should have absorbed all the liquid. If not, add that as well.). Divide and smooth the batter into the two prepared loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand on the counter top for about 15 minutes. With a skewer, poke 50 holes in the cake and spoon 3 tablespoons of liquor over each cake. Turn over onto a wire rack and allow to cool for half hour.

Making the Cake Pops
Prepare two cake trays with wax paper. Crumble the cake mixture into a large bowl. Mix in the whipping cream into the crumbled cake. Take a lime ball sized amount of cake and see if the mixture holds together. If not add some more whipping cream to bind the cake mixture. Make 60 lime sized balls and place them onto the tray. Cling wrap the cake balls and place them in the refrigerator for about an hour to slightly firm. Meanwhile melt chocolate into a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Once the chocolate is all melted, add the oil to give the chocolate a glossy look. Take the cake balls out, dip a skewer into a little melted chocolate and insert into the cake pop 2/3rd way. Then dip the cake ball into the chocolate to coat and tap slightly to let the excess fall off. Use styrofoam to place the cake pops and once the chocolate is slightly set, place the holly leaf and berry for decoration. I had plenty of berries and leaves left from my Christmas Cupcakes that I  had made, but you could use whatever you want to decorate your cake pops. I used the below video as my guide to making my cake pops. Though the entire process is time consuming, the end results are worth your time and efforts and its not that difficult at all.

So give these a try and let me know how it goes for you. And let me also thank my girl friend Sunehra Koshy for the boxes and cards i got to adorn my cake pops with...they were a hit!!!

Christmas Spiced Cookies

There are peppery cookies, meant to be as edible Christmas decorations, this is a classic Nigella Lawson recipe, pleases both the young and old alike. I limited the cookies to the designs of the angel and tree rending to the occasion you could go brighter and bolder to suit yourself.

Ingredients:
Plain Flour - 300gms
Salt - a pinch
Baking Powder - 1tsp
Mixed Ground All Spice - 1tsp
Black Pepper - 1tsp
Unsalted Butter - 100gms
Dark Brown Sugar - 100gms
Eggs - 2, lightly beaten
Honey - 4 runny tbs,

Irish Cream~ Homemade Baileys

This season I tried my hand at making baileys and gifted a bottle to my dear friend Sunehra for hosting us at her gala Christmas party, easy to whip up and take it for someone for a party just like I did!!

Ingredients:
Whipping Cream - 1 cup
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can (14oz)
Instant Coffee - 2 tsp
Chocolate Sauce - 1 tbs
Whiskey - 1 cup (I used just about a cup or slightly less)
Vanilla - 1 tsp

Combine all the ingredients into a blender and and blitz for about a minute. Bottle into a seal-able container and refrigerate. Shake before serving. This will keep for about 2 months in the refrigerator.

Christmas Holly Cupcakes

While my friend crafts till the crack of dawn, I was busy baking for the IBMer's for their Christmas get together till the crack of dawn. No doubt, I was sleep deprived in the morning but I was proud of my creation this year. Vanilla Cupcakes with Holly 'n Berry Toppers.

Ingredients:

Flour - 1 1/2 cups

Butter - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 2/3 cup

Baking Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Eggs - 3

Milk - 1/4 cup

Zest of One Lime

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Royal Icing:

Icing Sugar - 450gms

Meringue Powder - 3tbs

Water - 5-6 tbs depending on the consistency (I used about alot more tablespoons of water to make the runny consistency to cover the cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 160 C and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon zest, flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 17 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Always check a few minutes before the stated baking time. Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. 

To make the holly leaves, I used the Wilton Gumpaste Mix and tinted half with Wilton Christmas Red and the other half with Wilton Leaf Green.

Using the rose leaf cutter, cut the required number of leaves and using the veining tool made the veins. I used the following Video as a guide.

Chocolate Sugar Heart Cookies

Chocolate hearts are a favorite anytime of the day really, they serve as snacks for my son's tiffin, cheat snacks for the strictly dieting types (well actually for me) and for the husband who looks rumbles about kitchen looking for something/ anything to munch.....

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 2 3/4 cup
Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Unsalted Butter - 1 cup, room temperature
Granulated Sugar - 1 3/4 cups
Eggs - 2 large eggs
Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl,beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes depending on the size until they are firm around the edges. Remove them from the oven and let them cool onto a baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack. Frost with royal icing if desired or do some creativity with some ready made sprinkles using a little corn syrup. Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper and store in between layers of wax paper.

Oriental Delight "New Menu Launch" at OKO The Lalit Ashok

The city's select foodie lot headed over to OKO Lalit Ashok at the launch of their new menu. And for the curtain raiser dinner menu the dexterous Chef's put together dishes that featured the Sushi, Teppanyaki Cuisine, Oriental Grills and much more.

Commenting on the new menu launch at OKO, Mr. Amit Samson, GM, The Lalit Ashok said " Off late the food and beverage Industry has been witnessing a huge demand which leads to increased competition. It's imperative to build the top of mind recall among the target audience. As a trend setter in offering high end F&B experiences. It gives us immense pleasure to introduce the new shade to OKO. With this new menu launch, I'm very much certain about positioning ourselves as a top notch offering oriental cuisines with high quality, creativity, originality and reasonable price int his fiercely competitive market". 

For a try at their eclectic and specialized twists on everything from starters to desserts along with a stunning view of Bangalore and the golf course, its only at the OKO for that great dining experience.

OKO, The Lalit Ashok
Kumara Krupa High Grounds Bangalore - 560001
Tel - 080-30527777

Valet Parking Available

Re -posting!

Some of the pictures on my blog have disappeared due to a technical glitch, and I'm working on re -posting the pics right from scratch, I truly apologize for not being able to view them but they should be up within a week.

Until then Happy Cooking and Cheers!

Ally

A Keralite Special~Fish Galore~ Netholli, Karimeen and Prawn Fry

Lunch cannot be complete without these piscean beauties -Nehtolli (Anchovy) , Karimeen (Pearl Spot) and Konju (Prawn) Fry....its a feast for the senses!!!

Ingredients:
For the masala
Chili Powder - 2 tbs
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Fenugreek Powder - a pinch
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tbs
Crushed Black Peppercorns - 1tbs
Salt to taste
Lime - 2 halves, squeezed

I have used the same masala to marinate all the three, I had two Pearl Spots, about a half a kilo of anchovies cleaned with their heads off and about half a kilo of prawns de-veined.

Make a thick paste using all the above powders using about 1-3tbs of water if required, the lime juice should do. Smear them onto the fishes and keep them aside for about 1/2 to 1 hour before frying. Heat a deep frying fan with oil (coconut oil is the best, but you could use sunflower oil). Fry the fish till browned on both sides. Serve them with rice and curries.

Green Bell Pepper Soup

The weather is cold in Bangalore...well not that cold.....but cold enough....So one of the days when the sky looked as it would rain and the wind had that chill, what better time to have a soup for the night right?! Thus the green capsicum or the bell pepper soup came to my mind. I had the same thing when Seema Chechi (my Aunt) made it for dinner a few months back at her home.So I thought why not attempt the same thing.

Ingredients:
Green Bell Pepper - 4, finely chopped
Onion- 1 large, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
Chicken Stock or Vegetables Stock - 4 cups
Cream - 1/4 cup
Lime Juice - 1tbs
Crushed Black Pepper to taste
Flour (Maida) - 1 tbs

Into a frying pan, pour in about 2tbs of oil or butter. Saute the garlic and chopped onion till transparent. Then tip in the green capsicum till it becomes soft. Add in the maida and saute it to remove the rawness. Pour in the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Then pour the mixture into the blender and blend to a smooth consistency. Pour back this puree into a pot and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the cream and lime juice and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the crushed black pepper to taste. Add salt if required and serve warm with some garlic buns.

Estia ~ The Meditterenean Bliss at Aloft Hotel Bangalore

You walk into a decor where it allures you to a warm and balmy shades of blues and oranges. Nice textured walls, wooden chairs and tables, cobbled floor in its true taste of the Mediterranean  The service and the food combined just made the whole experience satisfying. The menu hosts a line up of cuisine featuring the Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Moroccan  Egyptian, Croatian and Portuguese. So we enjoyed the expert,y prepared food with a Turkish Mezze Starter starter of Hummus, Muhammara, the mezze platter which had 4 dips - the hummus, tzatziki, sundried tomatoes with rosemary and muhammara served with some Pita Bread. 

Whilst we were engaged in trying out platter of dips, there arrives our plate of crunchy Phyllo Cigars filled with Spinach and Feta cheese.These crunchy starters were quick to disappear as the creaminess of the spinach and feta with a bite of the phyllo was simply irresistible  Next up were the Jumbo Prawns sauteed in chili oil with a hint of black pepper which was much required. Succulent prawns with the right amount of spice to the dish. By then we were partly full on the tummy. 

Mezze Platter, Phyllo Cigars and Jumbo Prawns sauteed with Chili Oil

The Executive Chef - Chef Biswal then joins in for a for a tete-a tete on how the menu was engineered, where some food is sourced from, especially the beef which is imported to meet the quality of a steak. Chef  Biswal then departs to bring in his mains which were the Angus Rib Eye Steak, with classic onion rings, beans, potato gratin with a pepper sauce. The Steak was juicy and moist on a bed of potato gratin which was infinitely liked, the crunch of the beans and onion rungs to render and the dish was complete like steak is to be! We also got to taste the Adana Kebabs which is authentic lamb kebabs served with some aromatic saffron rice. 

Angus Rib Eye Steak with Potato Gratin, Green Beans and Onion Rings

The Kebabs though were a tad bit dry, but the dish still lingers on with the rice and tomato gravy being superb and spot on. And then finally, the Desserts - a trio of Tiramisu, Baklava and Rose Petal Ice Cream. 

Lamb Kebab with Aromatic Saffron Rice

Well we definitely licked our spoons to the ice cream, the other two desserts were a slight amiss as on compared to the cold, yummy Ice-cream. Never the less, we were thoroughly entertained and were on the brink of a food coma.........One Happy Family!!!

Tiramisu, Rose Petal Ice Cream and Baklava

Dinner for two excluding alcohol or beverages would cost about INR2000 (excluding taxes)

Estia -Aloft Hotel

17C, Sadaramangala Road, Whitefield

Tel: 080-43125500

Valet Parking Available

DELIZIOSO - Italian Food Fest @Bene Sheraton Bangalore

I was invited to review the Delizioso - The Italian Food fest which is already running since November 9th, 2012 and will go on till November 18th, 2012. Italian Cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in the world. While Italian cuisine is generally associated with pastas and rich, heavy foods, each region of Italy--including the central-northern region of Lombardy--is distinct in its "staple" foods and quintessential dishes which is what this Fest is featuring. The Lombardy region is best known for its dairy products, including the region's world-famous Gorgonzola cheese.Lombardy is bordered by Switzerland to the north, and it includes part of the Alps. 

Lombardy cuisine consists primarily of rice as the foundation of hearty dishes. Risotto, an Italian rice dish, originated a typical Milanese dish (Milan is the major city of the Lombard region), and has gained international recognition as a main entree across a wide variety of menus outside of the Italian gastronomical scope.At Bene the menu is crafted by the Celebrity Chef Enrico Fiorentini with popular dishes from the regular menu at Sheraton Milan Malpensa.

So while waiting for my rendezvous with the Chef, I scanned through the menu trying to figure out the dishes which of course most of it I couldn't quite decipher. And just when I was  thinking what would be best to order, the Chef arrives with a bang, and before you know I was enjoying tales of his experience. It's simple with Chef Enrico, he's got the humor with some sarcasm along with it, but we were enjoying some hearty laughs and Oh! did we. Chef then departs temporarily saying "I'm gonna cook you something, and all you have to do is eat alright?". Well that's a deal alright. - indeed a fine one I thought to myself.

The first meal was an Antipasti Platter which set the stage to the meal, as colourful and delicious as it should be was a medley of a Insalatina d’orzo con verdurine e cappesante dorate - Barley salad with garden vegetables sprigs & pan seared sea scallops and Tartare di Porcini trifolati e quenelle di ricotta alle erbe, piadinetta (V) - Tartare of sautéed cepes mushrooms with a herbed ricotta cheese quenelle with  a portion of Il pesce d’acqua dolce in 3 modi Marinato, Leggermente Affumicato e tartare - Three different ways we do serve the “Salmon” in Lombardy Sea salt & sugar marinated, lightly smoked & quite raw. 

Gli Anti Pasti  - Appetisers

Then came the Primi Piatti Di Pasta which is the Pasta course which again was a brilliant. Creamy Risotto, fresh ravioli and to die for saffron flavoured potatoes with the cheese foam.(Tortelli di zucca alla Mantovana con gli amaretti e la mostarda (V) - Pumpkin ravioli with a touch of amaretti cookies & candied-spiced fruits, Gnocchetti di patate allo zafferano sulla loro terra, germogli e schiuma al Parmigiano (V) - Saffron flavored potato dumplings served on their own soil, sprouts and Parmesan cheese foam and the Carnaroli ai funghi, infuso di porcini e tartara di gamberoni all’erba ciopollina - Mushroom risotto, cepes infusion and chives prawn tartare).

The next course of course was the Le Carni - the Meat Mains, by then I was stuffed and Chef mockingly asks "Your already full??, but I have just begun"....with a laugh. I was tantalized with L’ossobuco in gremolada secondo la ricetta originale “MA” di tacchino con risotto alla Milanese - Stewed turkey ossobuco with tomato and vegetable sauce, served with saffron risotto and a portion of the Costolette d’agnello in panuria di polenta al Parmigiano - Butter pan fried lamb chops in a herbed polenta crumbing.

The glorious meal came to end with the Lombardy Sweet Cuddles, another platter of the desserts hosting Chestnut flour, air dried fruits and nuts cake served with chocolate ice cream, Red wine poached pear served with double cream & Parmesan cheese ice cream and anise egg free biscuit,Double chocolate & mascarpone cheese mousse with “Brutti e Buoni” hazelnut crunchy bisquit and Polenta & Dark chocolate timbale with bitter orange marmalade. These tasting portions of the dessert were insanly brilliant. But my story doesn't end here. The Chef came back to the table, and we continued on his tales and traveled right across from Milan to Egypt to Syria to Dubai to Korea and now at India to realise I had spent a good three hours chatting and full on the belly.

I bid my good bye to the Chef and he surprises me with a parting gift, a box of Srbisolona - A typical Italian Tart to be had with tea or coffe and a little something for the journey back home.  And I was obviosly aww-ed!!

So in short my experience was worth it and Chef Enrico knows how to entertain his gifts for sure.  So head out to the Bene and make the most out of the weekend while it lasts.

Bene

Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway

26/1 Dr. Raj Kumar Road, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar

Bangalore - 55

Tel: 080-42521000

Valet Parking Available

Honey Paneer with Carrot Parathas

We are not great vegetarian eaters, but we try to resort to vegetarian atleast twice a week even sometimes twice in two weeks....now that sounds worse!!! But yea we are malayalees who just cannot do without the meat and the fish.... sigh!! So anyway one of the dinners we had to force ourselves for a No non vegetarian dinner so I looked up Archana Doshi's recipe on the Honey Paneer which just simply clicked instantly and here we have it.

Ingredients:
Paneer - 1cup, cut into cubes
Pureed Tomatoes - 1 1/2 cups
Cumin Seeds - 1tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1tbs
Turmeric Powder - 1/4tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2tsp
Red Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1/2tsp
Cardamom Powder - 1tsp
Kasthuri Methi - 1tbs
Honey - 1tbs
Salt to taste

Into a bowl of hot water, soak the paneer for about 10 minutes to make it soft. Into a frying pan, pour in a tablespoon of oil. Splutter the cumin seeds once the oil is hot. Then add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add the honey and continue to saute till it bubbles. Then add in the coriander, chilli and turmeric powder and saute for a minute. Add in the tomato puree along with salt to taste and bring to a light simmer.  Drain the paneer and add to the gravy. Then pour in the milk or the cream and mix in. Add the kasthuri  methi and allow the curry to simmer. Sprinkle in the cardamom powder over the top and mix in. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

For the Carrot Parantha

Ingredients:
For the Filling
Grated Carrots - 1 1/2 cups
Onion - 1, medium finely chopped
Corainder Leaves - 1 tbs, finely chopped
Mint Leaves - 1 tbs, finely chopped
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Corinader Powder - 1tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

For the Dough:
Wheat Flour (Atta) - 2 cups
Water - 1 cup, lukewarm
Salt - to taste

Knead the wheat flour and water along with the salt to form a soft dough. Keep aside covered for about 30 minutes. In a frying pan, add  a little oil to coat the pan and saute the onions till transparent. Then add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for about 2 minutes. Tip in the mint leaves, coriander leaves, cumin powder and the coriander powder and saute till done. Add in the grated carrots and saute till the the carrots are all softened down. Take off from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Divide the dough into 10 small sized balls and roll out each to a disc. Spoon a tablespoon of the carrot mixture on the disc,and  cover it up with the dough. Do the same with all the remaining dough and keep aside for about 5 mins before rolling it out into small rotis. Fry onto a tawa till browned and serve hot.

Basa Fillets Baked in Lemon, Garlic and Butter with Coconut Rice

I like to keep my dinners rather simple, without any rumpus!!! So for the simple baking with a few ingredients often found in the everyday kitchen, here it is...

Ingredients:

Basa Fish Fillets – 2 slabs, or any white fish of your preference

Butter – 3 tbs, melted

Salt – ¼ tsp

Ground Black Pepper – 1/8 tsp

Garlic – 2 tbs, finely chopped

Lime – 2 halves

Coriander Leaves – a handful roughly chopped

Rosemary – just a sprinkle

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a shallow baking dish, mix in the butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Place the fish filets into this mixture so that both sides are evenly coated. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake for about 10minutes. Take it out from the oven, and remove the foil. Squeeze the lime over each fillet. Sprinkle in the cilantro and a sprinkle of roasmary and place back in the oven for about 10minutes, until the fish is all flaky and sides start to have some colour. Serve the fish over a bed of coconut rice. You may notice a lot of pan juice, you may chose to spoon it over the filets and rice or toss it. Enjoy!!!

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

Long Grain Basamati Rice – 1cup

Water – 3/4cup

Coconut Milk – 1/4cup

Salt to taste

Cook the rice till tender with water coconut milk and salt as required.

Mandarin Relived Fest at Oko, Lalit Ashok

The ongoing Mandarin Relived Fest that has kick started at the Oko is all about featuring the nostalgic best of the Mandarin Restaurant. Chef Liang and his team have dished out an absolutely delectable spread. The meal starts with an Amuse Bouche which is a creamy shot of Hot Mushroom and Pepper Soup. Then comes a warming bowl of Chicken Soup with the Baby Asparagus which is nourishing.

Kai-Hi Low Soon Thong/ Chicken Soup with Baby Asparagus

Followed by two rewarding Dim Sums (appetizers), the Park Charm Kai which is steamed salted chicken with some chinese herbs served with some julienned vegetables for the added colour to the dish.

Park Charm Kai/ Steamed Salted chicken with Chinese Herbs

The chicken was delicate and moist morsels that were just right. Then came the Cha Choy Lung Keen which were crunchy vegetable Dragon Rolls that came with a chili sauce which disappeared into our mouths as quickly as they had arrived.

Cha Choy Lung Keen/ Mini Vegetarian Dragon Rolls

The mains have a good eclectic mix of vegetables which are the Ho Laan Choy, a Cantonese style dish of vegetables and also the Pal Choy Chow Tung which is the Shitake Mushrooms and Stir Fried Greens.Both these dishes were well complimented with the Jasmine Rice (Park Faan). Being the non vegetarian that I am, I couldn't let myself not have a go at the Non-vegetarian options which were the U Tou Kai Tank which is the diced glazed chicken with almonds and a cashew spice sauce.

And for the ones who like a the hit of the chili then the Yu Yan Lat Tho Asi, the sauteed fish with honey in a spicy bean sauce is just the thing to have.

To wind up my meal the creamy mango ice cream with some jellied fruits was the thing for a sweet ending. The menu is set for the whole fest be it lunch or dinner. So relish all this at the OKO, for a mandarin meal while it lasts until the 10 November 2012.

Mango Ice Cream with the Jellied Fruits

Vegetarian is priced at 1195 + taxes
Non Vegetarian is priced at 1295 + taxes 

OKO - Lalit Ashok, Kumara Krupa High Grounds, Bangalore - 560001

Tel: 080- 30527777

Valet Parking Available

Easy Sausage Loaf

This bread is a full meal deal which is flavorful and comforting. Its easy to knead and perfect for anytime. Complement this bread with some scrambled eggs or poached eggs and you have an elaborate brunch.

 Ingredients:
Warm Water - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 2 tbs
All Purpose Flour - 3 -3 1/4 cups
Whole Wheat Flour - 1/2 cup
Sausages - 1 pound (you can also Italian Sausages with the meat removed from the casing)
Egg - 1, beaten lightly to glaze
Yeast - 2 1/4 tsp

Sprinkle the yeast over warm water in a large electric mixer bowl. Let the yeast stand for about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk, sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and mix in to blend untill smooth and elastic. Add in the whole wheat flour and about 1/4 cup more of the all purpose flour. Knead the dough till it is smooth and satiny. Turn the dough into a well greased bowl and allow to rest for about 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, fry the sausages till brown. Using a slotted spoon remove the sausage and cool on paper towels. Punch the risen dough and pat down into a 1/2 inch thick circle.
Sprinkle the meat over the round of the dough, fold and knead the sausage lightly into the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a greased baking tray. Make incisions across the top of the dough. Brush the  top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and leave to prove for another 45 minutes. Brush with egg yolk. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 35 minutes till golden and the crust sounds hollow. Cool on a wire rack before slicing. Serve with a mayo dip or cheese spread.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tell you what when I see chocolate Chip cookies, I can't just eat one. I've got to eat a dozen. I don't have any self control. Well, come on! You're just talking yourself right into the pit! You do not have self control, and you need to start looking at those cookies and saying." If I want you I'll eat you, and if I don't I won't!" Come on! Talk to that plateful of food are the very words I echo off Joyce Meyer.

Ingredients:
Self Rising Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Butter - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar - 1cup
Egg - 1, lightly beaten
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 2 tbs, sifted
Almond Extract - 1tsp
Chocolate Chips - 150gms

Into a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together into a separate bowl. Fold in the flour and cocoa mixture into the creamed butter mixture along with the almond extract. Once folded in, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto two large greased cookie sheets. Flatten each mixture with the back of the spoon, and ensure there is enough space between each cookie. Bake them for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven at 190C. Transfer them onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

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Chocolate Cake with Coffee Syrup

 Let's face it, chocolate cake does it for a lot of people, and it does for us!!!! So how about you??

Ingredients:
Butter - 1/2 cup
Semi Sweet Chocolate - 225gms, broken into pieces
Black Coffee - 1tbs
Eggs - 4
Egg Yolks - 2
Caster Sugar - 1/2cup, generous
All Purpose Flour - 1/3 cup
Ground Cinnamon - 2tsp
Ground Almonds - 1/2cup, scant
Syrup:
Strong Black Coffee - 1 1/4 cup
Caster Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon Stick - 1

Grease and line an 8 inch round cake pan. Place the chocolate and coffee into a heat proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water until just melted. Stir to blend and allow to cool slightly. Into a mixing bowl place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar and whisk until the mixture is  pale and thick. Soft the flour and cinnamon powder into the egg mixture. Add the almonds and the chocolate mixture and fold into the mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for about 35minutes till the skewer inserted comes out clean. Place the inverted cake onto a serving plate.
To make the syrup place the coffee and sugar and cinnamon in a heavy based saucepan. Gently heat over a low flame and allow the sugar to dissolve. Boil the mixture vigorously for about 5 minutes till the sauce reduces and starts to thicken. Prick the cake with a toothpick and drizzle half the warm syrup over. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with some more sauce poured over.

United Flavours of India - 40 Day Journey at the Lalit Ashok Bangalore

We craved for Punjabi Food with the non vegetarian dishes and rotiyaan, the 24/7 multi cuisine restaurant at the Lalit Ashok made our bellies delight.

L-R- Chef K.P Singh, Bhuni Hui Chaatein Kheema de Naal,Meat Waale Chaawal,Kheeme Koyal ke Masala

  Chef K.P Singh brings to you robust and rich flavors from Punjab all present at the buffet for the next 40 days. I had a long chat with Chef K.P Singh and learnt that he had the opportunity to spend a good one month in the villages of Amritsar to learn the cuisine, to learn the way the Punjabis make their food at home, or at the Dhabas "Food to the Punjabis is important, it is translated as brotherhood, togetherness and happiness", Chef KP recalls in his expedition at Punjab. Keeping that in mind he has wanted to bring forth those experiences and tastes for the event at the Lalit Ashok all this month.

Rotiyaan

I asked Chef for his recommended options to try in the buffet, so for starters I tried the Stuffed Gajjar Ka Parathas with Kheeme Koyal ke Masala, a whole quail cooked in Mutton Kheeme along with some spices,rendered down in tomato and onions based gravy cooked over a prolonged period for the burst of flavors. Next up we tried the Bhuni Hui Chaatein Kheema de Naal, which are mutton chops cooked in a spicy and robust masala, with the tender meat simply coming off the bone.

Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda

The Meat Waale Chaawal is also subtle and flavorful with the soft Punjabi Kadhi Pakodas which I strongly reccommend. One cannot miss a meal with the ubiquitous Sarson Ka Saag and Roti with some Gurr and Safed Makhan and of course the Dal Makhani, Paneer Wale Chole with Puri. To end the lunch I tried the Urad dal ka Halwa and  Malpua soaked in sugar syrup which are heavenly.

Ural Dal di Pinni

By the end of the whole ordeal I was overloaded, but happy! All the reason to go back and try some more of the upcoming culinary dishes from the Bundelkhand Jugalbandi which is the Khajuraho Cusine ( 21st to 30 Oct ) and the Shaahi Mewad the Rajasthani Cuisine (11th Oct to 20th Oct). All this only at the Lalit Ashok till the 30th of Oct at the 24/7 Restaurant.

24/7 Multi Cuisine Restaurant

The Lalit Ashok, Kumara Krupa High Grounds, Bangalore - 560001

Tel: 080-30527777

Valet Parking Available