Amazing Thailand~ Thai Food Fest at Sheraton Hotel Brigade Gateway Bangalore

With the Bangalore skies overcast with the chill in the air its warm food that beckons the tummy. The Amazing Thailand - Thai Festival comes at no better than time than this to scintillate your palates this season. And before you sit down to have your meals, as a part of the fest we (my husband and myself)
got pampered to a 10 minute Thai head and neck massage , especially after a rush in traffic; which was so required.

Chef Sumet - T Rex

Chef Sumet  or T REX (meaning little boy in Thai) brings to you his finest and some authentic style Thai food to you on request. The Thai food is essentially known to have the four main seasoning which is salty, sweet, spicy and sour. The dishes that were brought had every element being in it. We were definitely wooed by his two main dishes that were Pad Thai, which comes packaged in an omelette. The Pad Thai was stir fried with prawns in a fish sauce, wrapped in a delicate omelette and topped with some fresh crunchy bean sprouts and served along with the condiments of chili flakes, sugar, crushed peanuts and lime. 

Pad Thai

The looks of the Pad Thai itself make you salivate. Next up the Chef treated us to another one of his live creations which was the Pad Kra Prao topped with the Kai Khai Dao, a chicken stri fry with basil leaves served with rice and a thai style fried egg. To describe the dish I would say - Sumptuous .The Buffet holds store some other fantastic dishes such as the Keany Curry Pla which is a Yellow Fish Curry and Keang Pad Je which is a Spicy Red Vegetable Curry in the Mains.

Pad Kra Prao

There is the soups sections which offers two really hot and spicy options such as Seafood Galangal Soup and a Thai Hot and Sour Soup. Not to mention there is a live station where the guests can meet their craving of meat or seafood along with their noodles. For Dessert there was the Warm Sago and Corn Kernals in a sweet coconut milk which I found a tad too sweet. Never the less to bring down that sweetness you need a bite of the Khanom Mo Kaeng which is Mung Bean Custard topped with savory fried onions. 

Mung Bean Custard with Fried Onions

The subtleness of this custard and the savoriness of the fried onions just brings about a perfect harmony. A perfect ending to a good meal. What I liked about the dish was that what seemed like a garnish is so vital and elemental to the custard. So get going to a feisty cuisine at the Feast Sheraton Bangalore located at Brigade Gateway for a Lunch Buffet priced at INR995 or for Dinner Buffet at INR1145 exclusive of taxes respectively until 26th July, 2012. So hurry while the festivity lasts!

A special mention for Akhil the Restaurant Manager at Sheraton, Praveen and Nithya of Sales at Sheraton Bangalore, the most patient the waiter Manish for having hosted us.

Sago in Thai Coconut Milk

Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway
26/1 Dr. Rajkumar Raod, Malleshwaram - Rajajinagar
Bangalore-560055

Tel: 080- 42521000

Valet Parking Available

Chakkakuru Mezhukuperrutti~Stir Fried Jack Fruit Seeds

This is one dish my mom's elder sister is a pro at! I love the way Remaniammama makes her chakkakuru mezhukkuperruti. I have eaten her dish way too many times, for sure I love the way she does it because there is alot more love added when she does it for us!

Ingredients:

Jack fruit Seeds - 400gms

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 8 pods, chopped finely

Coconut Slivers (Thengakothu) - 1/4cup

Water - 1/4cup

Salt to taste

Peel the white outer cover off the jack fruit seeds. Then soak them in water for about 2 hours and then remove the brown layer. Alternatively the seeds could be pressure cooked in water and salt for a speedy process. Once the brown layer is off, cut them lengthwise. Into a pan, pour some oil and tip in the garlic and saute for a minute. Add in the jack fruit seeds, along with the turmeric, chili powder,coconut slivers and salt if not added.Saute for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add about a quarter cup water. Cover and cook till the seeds are al-dente. Once the water is evaporated, fry the seeds till they are slightly crispy. Check for seasoning and add more salt if required.

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Cherry Sauce

No use of gelatin and the cheesecake is easy to set. My favorite recipe book which is the Delicious Wicked Desserts and this one I vote as simply creamy and delightful!

Ingredients:
White Chocolate - 150gms, broken up
Mascarpone Cheese - 250gms
Whipping Cream - 142ml
For the Cherry Sauce
Arrowroot - 1 tbs
Creme De Casis - 150ml (I used Cherry Brandy instead)
Grated Zest and Juice of 1 Orange
Whole Cherries - 500gms, stalks removed
For the Base
Chocolate Digestive Biscuits - 225gms, crushed
Butter - 50gms, melted and warm

Brush the insides of a 450gm loaf tin with water and then line with cling film. Melt the chocolate into a heat prrof bowl, over a pot of simmering water. Take it off and then stir till smooth and leave to cool slightly. Into a separate bowl beat the mascarpone cheese and and fold in the cream. Spoon into the tin and level it slight. Place in the refrigerator to firm about an hour.Meanwhile proceed to make the biscuit base, mix the crushed biscuits with the butter and spoon the mixture over the firm cheesecake mixture and press lightly to level. Place in the refrigerator to firm up for 4 hours or until set. To make the cherry sauce, measure out 100ml of water and mix in 1 tablespoon of the arrowroot powder to make a paste. Bring the remaining water to boil in a pan with the brandy or casis, orange zest, juice. Stir in the paste and simmer till clear and thick. Add in the cherries and simmer for about 3minutes.Allow to cool. To serve. invert the cheesecake over a plate and slice into 8 slices and serve with the cherry sauce.

Fig Tart with Pistachio Crumble

The Masterchef series this season is absolutely fantastic. What I look forward to are the episodes on the masterclass. So in one of the episodes, Gary Mehigan demonstrated this fantastic and beautiful tart. I was mesmerized by the whole thing and decided 'am gonna give this a go! So I went to Food Hall located at No.1 MG Road, which is a gourmet store and bought everything I needed for this tart.  I tell you this tart could be wickedly addictive!!!

Ingredients:

Pistachio paste

Peeled Pistachios - 125gms

Caster Sugar - 62gms

Glucose Syrup – 2-3tsp

Sweet Short Crust Pastry

Butter - 120gms

Icing Sugar - 30gms

Pinch of salt

Plain Flour - 240gms

Egg – 1

Egg Yolk - 1

Pistachio crumble

Peeled Pistachios - 1/3cup

Caster Sugar - 40gms

Plain Flour - 40gms

Chilled Butter - 30gms, chopped

Frangipane filling

Unsalted Butter - 120gms

Caster Sugar - 120gms

Eggs – 2

Egg Yolk - 1

Cornstarch - 2tbs

Almond Extract – 1tsp

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Ground Almonds - 120gms

Plain Flour - 40gms

Pistachio Paste - 2 tbs

Fresh Figs - 6, cut into 6 or 8 wedges each

Honey - 1/2cup (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160°C. For pastry, place butter, sugar and salt into a food processor and process until creamy. Add flour and process until coarse breadcrumbs. Add egg and yolk and process for 10 seconds or until the dough comes together to form a ball. Tip pastry onto a lightly floured bench and bring together with hands. Flatten gently into a flat rectangular shape and wrap in plastic film. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest.  Roll rested dough to 3mm thick and wrap loosely around a rolling pin. Gently roll over a 9 inch fluted round tart tin with a removable base and press pastry into tin, moulding pastry up the sides of the tin with your fingertips, fill in any cracks with excess dough. Remove any excess pastry with your thumb by pressing down along the edges of the tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Place a sheet of baking paper into the chilled pastry in the tart tin, half-fill with baking beads or rice and bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are light golden. Remove weights and baking paper and bake for 5-10 minutes or until base is dry. Set aside.

For the Pistachio Crumble:

 For pistachio crumble, place pistachios in the chopper attachment of a stick blender and process to a meal. Add sugar and flour and process to combine, transfer to a bowl. Rub in butter with your fingers, leaving some small lumps of butter.  Line a baking tray with baking paper, tip crumble over tray and spread evenly. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until just golden. Set aside to cool.

For the Pistachio Paste:

For pistachio paste, process all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Add a little water if too dry to come together.

For the Franipane Filling:

For frangipane filling, whisk butter and sugar in an electric mixer until creamy. With the motor running, add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, continuing to mix after each addition. Add almond liqueur, lemon zest, ground almonds, flour and pistachio paste and whisk until combined. Spoon almond mixture into tart shell until ¾ full. (Left over frangipane can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week). Gently press in fig wedges, placing them at regular intervals along the tart. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.  Remove tart from oven, brush with warm honey and leave to cool. Sprinkle the crumble generously over the tart and serve with clotted cream on the side.

An Easy Veal Biriyani

Easter has passed and a good time has gone by, and I just couldn't find the time to post this one on account of my health being really low in the recent past! Well, if not my friend constantly peppping me on my blog this post on the biriyani would have been lost. My cooking hardly involves any effort, I resolve to this time of cooking owing to many reasons, my child, my work, and other commitments. So when time beats you to the game, you got to beat time, yet I wouldn't like to compromise on the food that is being put on the table! So for this easter, as simple as it got was the Veal Biriyani and this is how it goes.....

Ingredients:
Veal Cubes - 500gms
Rice - 2 cups
Onions - 3, sliced finely
Green Chilies - 4, finely chopped
Ginger - 4 inch piece, julienned
Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 5
Peppercorns - 10
Cinnamon Sticks - 4, 2 inch pieces
Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch, finely chopped
Mint Leaves - 1 bunch, finely chopped
Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
A pinch of Saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon of warm milk
Salt to taste
Fried Cashew nuts - 50 gms
Fried Raisins and Sultanas - 50gms
Fried Onions - 1 cup for garnish

Soak the rice in water, rinse well and drain. Cook the rice in salted water till soft and tender and keep aside.

In a pressure cooker, place the veal cubes along with some salt and pepper. Cook till the veal cubes are tender. Meanwhile into a pan, pour some oil, and splutter the whole spices - cardamon, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns. Then saute the onions till evenly browned. Add in the garlic and ginger. Saute till fragrant and then tip in the green chilies.Add in the chopped coriander and mint leaves, reserving a handful of coriander for the final garnish. Cook till the leaves are wilted and well mixed with the onion. Add the tomato paste and cooked veal and fry well. If the meat while cooking turns dry, add about a less than a 1/4 cup of of the veal stock from the pressure cooker or water to moisten the dish a little bit.

Into a large casserole, layer in the rice, and the cooked veal and add the saffron milk mixture and gently mix the rice and the veal in. Layer the top of the rice with fried cashew nuts, raisin and sultanas and some fried onion. Cover the casserole and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 140 C. Once out from the oven, add a handful of freshly chopped coriander and the biriyani is ready!

Ensure you have pappads, a raita, pickle, and a good malayalam movie to watch!:P

Wine and Grill Symphony Festival at Baluchi, The Lalit Ashok

The monsoon brings you some succulent and enticing grills along with the pairing of Four Seasons Wine, laid out for the Bangaloreans from July 1 till July 10, 2012. 

L-R: Mr. Abhay Kewadkar, Chef Nimesh Bhatia

Chef Nimesh Bhatia the Regional Executive Chef takes you through some excellent non vegetarian and vegetarian delights, like the Mirch Masale Ki Sabot, Khush Mahak Jheenga, Kacche Koyale Ka Khargosh, Khumb-hi-khumb, Sataver Aur Hari Gobi Ki Tikki prepared on the Weber Grill. Mr Abhay Kewadkar - Chief Wine Maker and Director Four Seasons Wine explained the nuances of pairing the char grilled dishes  with the full bodied complex Four Seasons from the Barrique Reserve Range which are Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Khumb Hi Khumb

Baluchi stands out for its delight on the palate with the variety of kebabs, shorbas, rotis and fragrant rice dishes. This season it opens its perfect setting to a 10 day long festival of only the best gastronomic experience of perfect grilled delights and Premium Wines to make it complete, so be there to enjoy it because I indeed did on the Preview of the Event. The meal was justifiable with the Shiraz and  generous portions of shrimps, the grilled rabbit, stuffed chicken and mutton .

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

Tel: 080-30527777

Valet Parking Available