Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Oh, Calcutta

 Calcutta

Where you can eat like a king for very little money...

Where time to seems to have halted in an age a lot of us are nostalgic about...

Where global chains and QSRs reach last and its all for the better...

Where your average Joe has a strong opinion on food and standards have to be high...


Calcutta

Where Pice Hotels serve wholesome meals... 

Where cabins with a long list of fried goodies breach your resolve...

Where the Biryani has potatoes in it and strangely enough, it works...

Where a lane serves serves dim sum and soup at dawn for breakfast...


Calcutta

Where the tea tastes better and is served in earthen cups...

Where Rossogullas are served warm and packed to go in clay pots...

Where Puchkas are dished out not in batches of six, but till you ask Dada to stop...

Where shops serving Mutton Rolls rub shoulders with second-hand book stores...


Calcutta

Where I lived and studied many years ago...

At a location which was back of beyond and a year which now seems ancient history...

At a time when my palate was not developed enough to appreciate some of these gifts...

When I had a mental block against fresh water fish and food cooked in mustard oil...


Well, its time to correct some of that.

Calcutta, I'm coming...



Friday, December 11, 2015

Biryani Success!!

It is one of the most recognizable delicacies in several Indian cuisines. It has a guaranteed place on menus in Indian restaurants all over the world. And yet, it is one of the most poorly understood Indian dishes . And also the most abused. Few, if any, of the countless restaurants that serve it daily, are aware of its history or can define it correctly or follow a recipe that can be called 'authentic'.

So what is the history of the Biryani? Well, there are several versions but the most widely accepted states that it was born out of a fusion between the 'Pilaf' of Persian origin and the rice preparations indigenous to the subcontinent. The rice and meat combination was a big hit among the marching armies of the Mughal kings and was often used the feed the hungry troops when they camped at the end of the day during expeditions.

As is common with most dishes that are as celebrated as the Biryani, the recipe evolved over time and several different versions emerged in different parts of the country as the Mughal Empire expanded. However, over time, two dominant versions emerged in two cities that are now home to the remnants of a once thriving Muslim nobility and their refined culture - Lucknow and Hyderabad.

While the Lucknow version should actually be called 'Awadhi Gosht Pulao', the name 'Biryani' probably comes from the Hyderabadi version. While the ingredients in the two versions are, by and large, the same, there are differences in the method of preparation. The most important one is hidden in the fact that the Hyderabadi version is called 'Kachche Gosht Ki Biryani'. The mutton in the Hyderabadi Biryani is cooked on the charcoal flame along with the rice, while in the Lucknowi Pulao, the mutton is pre-cooked in a creamy stock called 'Yakhni', before the rice comes in.

Which version is better is a matter of great debate and I have absolutely no interest in taking sides. However, I feel the need to highlight a few things that set these two apart from any other combination of rice and meat that pretends to be a Biryani or a Pulao. Mutton or Beef is the meat to use and not Chicken. The Biryani/Pulao is cooked on a charcoal fire, preferably in a copper vessel using the 'Dum' technique. And random ingredients like potatoes and boiled eggs are never added.

While I will write about the Lucknowi Pulao in the future, this post will focus on the 'Hyderabadi Kachche Gosht Ki Biryani'. If you toss a stone in Hyderabad's old city, you will probably hit a restaurant claiming to serve the best Biryani. I wonder how many of them follow a recipe refined and perfected over generations by 'Khansamas' in the Nizam's kitchen.

I found that recipe by chance while watching a food-related show on television many years ago. The show featured Mehboob Alam Khan, a well-known expert on Hyderabadi cuisine, who spoke with great passion about the Biryani and even demonstrated how it's made. The episode left no doubt in my mind that the recipe, if followed religiously, would produce the closest approximation of the famed 'Nizamowali Hyderabadi Biryani'.

The copper vessel and the charcoal brazier ('Sigree') would take some finding though, and the plan to execute Mehboob Saheb's recipe remained a plan. My enthusiasm was revived however, when I found the video of that episode on YouTube recently and I set out to gather the equipment. That fact that you can find everything online these days helped and websites like Indiamart and TradeIndia helped me locate vendors for the Copper vessel and the Sigree.

Starting a charcoal flame in the Sigree took a few attempts, but once that was done, I was all set. The process started on a Sunday morning, with a visit to Janata Mutton Shop in Mahim. The butchers here know their cuts well and when I told the guy there that I wanted the meat to make Biryani, he promptly went to work on a fresh Lamb Leg. The meat on the leg is relatively tender and gives the best cuts for a Biryani.

While the marinade and the other prep was done in the kitchen at home, the charcoal fire had to be lit on the building roof. The whole thing from start to finish took about five hours and while I was nervous about a possible anti-climax (the meat not cooking enough or getting burnt at the bottom of the vessel), the fragrance escaping the 'Dum', told me this was working. And when the lid came off, the remaining doubt was laid to rest.

There was a lot of Biryani that day and many people ate it, including relatives who stay close by, and people at work the next day. The approval was unanimous and everyone agreed that it was special and completely different from restaurant Biryanis. A special thanks to Mr. Mehboob Alam Khan for sharing this work of art on TV. And for those you who could not taste it, here is the recipe. Follow it precisely and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Equipment

- Flat and wide copper vessel, tinned on the inside ("क़लई किया हुआ ताम्बे का बर्तन"). It is commonly called 'Lagan'. This is what it looks like.




Brass or Aluminum vessels can be used as well but the results won't be the same. Stainless steel is an absolute NO.

- Charcoal brazier, commonly called 'Sigree' in Hindi. This has two compartments, the upper one holds the charcoal and the lower one collects the ashes and also has a door to regulate the heat. A gas flame will not produce the same results.



Ingredients

1 kg Mutton (preferably the leg, cut into medium sized pieces)
3 tbsp. raw papaya paste
4 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
Salt, to taste
3 tbsp. turmeric powder
4 tbsp. red chili powder
1/2 stick cinnamon
10 cloves
10 cardamom pods (whole)
10-15 black peppercorns
5 tbsp. clarified butter (desi ghee)
4 medium sized onions (chopped lengthwise)
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp. loose curd
4 green chilies, chopped
Chopped mint leaves
Chopped coriander leaves (divided into 2 portions)
3/4 kg long-grain Basmati rice
1 cup milk
15 strands of saffron
Wheat flour dough

Method

Heat the Ghee in a wok (Kadhai) and add the onions. Stir fry on medium heat till crisp, golden brown and caramelized. This should take around 15-20 minutes. Divide the fried onions into two portions and also the ghee used for frying. Wash the mutton pieces well and place them at the bottom of the copper vessel, ensuring that the bottom is more or less covered.



Add the papaya paste, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, red chili powder, crushed cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods and peppercorns. Mix all of this thoroughly.



Add one portion of the fried onions, lemon juice, curd, green chilies and mint. Add half the chopped coriander leaves and half the ghee used for frying the onions. Mix all of this well and let it marinate for at least an hour.


Bring water to a boil in a large vessel. Add the rice and cook till about 60% done (the grain consistency should be 'al dente'). Drain the water but reserve a cup and add it to the ghee still left.
Add the saffron to a cup of milk and heat it on a low flame till it comes to a boil. Now, add the rice to the copper vessel, on top of the marinated mutton, covering the mutton fully and packing the layer lightly. Sprinkle this with the water and ghee mixture. Spread the saffron milk on top. Top this with the remaining fried onions and coriander. Line the rim of the copper vessel with the dough and place the lid on top.

Light the charcoal in the Sigree (there are a lot of articles online on how to do this). Once lit, place the sealed copper vessel on it. Place a heavy object (large stone or dumb-bell) on the lid. Leave the door at the bottom open for about 10 minutes and fan it with a cardboard sheet occasionally. This helps the flame build up. After 10 minutes, take the copper vessel down and use tongs to remove about 10-15 burning charcoal pieces from the Sigree and place them on the vessel lid. Add fresh charcoal pieces to the Sigree as replacement and put the vessel back. This time, shut the door to ensure a low, stable flame. Leave this set-up undisturbed for about 40-45 minutes.



After 45 minutes, take the vessel off the flame and remove the lid. Mix the contents well and serve as is, or with a few sides like mango pickle and Raita.



You'll get a better idea if you actually see how it's done, so here's the video as well.



Well I'm off to find a similarly awesome recipe for the Lucknowi version. So till I do, watch this space!

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Kolhapur

Maharashtra is one of India's largest states and can be divided into many regions. But for those of us living on the coast, it has always been coastal Maharashtra and the hinterland. More so for me, coz the family belongs to Goa, and parts of Konkan, like the Sindhudurg district are almost like home - owing to geographical proximity and cultural similarities. Cross over the Western Ghats however, and it becomes a little different. The language loses its familiar nasal tone, there are fewer palm trees and the landscape becomes more arid. All in all, it feels less like home.

Having said that, a lot of places in Maharashtra's hinterland hold a significant place in its history, and are of great interest from a cultural and touristic viewpoint. Ranking very high on that list is Kolhapur. The ancient Mahalaxmi temple and its status as an erstwhile princely state make it historically significant, while its contributions to Indian classical music and Marathi theatre point to a remarkable cultural heritage. It is also home to - most importantly - a delectable regional cuisine.

So when a colleague came up with the idea of driving to Kolhapur (his hometown) over a long weekend, it didn't take much convincing. The fact that he had a house in a quaint village on the outskirts of the city was an added incentive. Many office hours were spent online (obviously), trying to find Kolhapur's best food offerings, before the weekend finally arrived. After an eventful drive, with an unscheduled night halt at Pune, we finally arrived a little before noon on Saturday.

Kolhapur cuisine is best known for its mutton preparations, and after a quick visit to the famous Mahalaxmi temple, we set out looking for Kolhapur's best Mutton Thali. Always ask the locals when in doubt, and it was the owner of one of the many chappal shops outside the temple who suggested Padma Lodge. The place is in a crowded lane in the market area near the temple and looked quite promising till we got to the entrance only to be told that they were not serving mutton that day (a Puja had been organized at the restaurant). Luckily the owners were right there and told us they had another outlet next to their house a short distance away.

'The other Padma Lodge' was in a nicer, less crowded part of town, right next to the owners' palatial house. They serve a variety of mutton thalis and while the other carnivore in the group ordered the Mutton Masala Thali, I went for the interesting sounding Mutton Lonche Thali (Lonche - pickle in Marathi). Most meat preparations in Kolhapur are served with two broth-like sides which are synonymous with Kolhapur cuisine. These are the Pandhra Rassa - a white broth, and the Tambda Rassa - a red broth. Both are served in generous quantities in all the Thalis at Padma Lodge. The Pandhra Rassa is the broth from cooking the meat, which is then flavoured with pepper, while the Tambda Rassa is a chili-laden plain curry.

My 'Mutton Lonche Thali' as the name suggests had a dry mutton pickle and some chapattis with rice, the two awesome broths and rice with some sides. It lived up to all the hype and looked like this.

 
After what was a late lunch filled with meat and spice, it was time for some dessert. Apparently, Kolhapuris love their ice-cream and there is one parlor tucked away in a quiet corner of the city that regularly comes up with innovative flavors. Raj Mandir Ice-cream took some finding, but while we were getting there, we were told that their 'Red Guava' flavor was not to be missed. And it was the best food-related advice we got during our time in Kolhapur. While many Ice-cream houses in the big cities (Natural's in Bombay notably) pride themselves on creating new flavors using natural ingredients, this one item at Raj Mandir wins hands down. The very first bite and you feel something is messing with your system. Is it the ice-cream or a piece of the real fruit you're eating? They even season the ice-cream scoop with the salt and chili powder mix commonly eaten with guava. Maybe that does the trick!


 The trip was short and we had to head back the next afternoon, given the long drive back. But not before trying another Kolhapur special - the Misal! Well, this is something popular all over Maharashtra. It's basically potato bhaji mixed with a pungent lentil curry topped with Farsan, chopped onions and coriander, served with a lemon wedge and bread. Every city and town (including Bombay) has a few joints that claim to serve the best Misal. That said, Kolhapur has a very strong claim on the 'Best Misal' title and it owes that to one legendary restaurant.

Phadtare Misal Centre looks pretty much like a large shack - and it is, with a lot of cramped seating and a huge queue outside. But, like I've said before, its places like these that most often serve the best food. Add to that the fact that the place is a landmark in itself. Almost everyone in Kolhapur can tell you where it is and it has been covered in multiple TV shows and travel/food articles in newspapers and magazines.

 
The popularity and cult like status has its flipside though, and a visit almost always involves a long waiting time. It wasn't any different when we landed up there and it took us about 45 minutes to get seated. The wait didn't end there though. The serving here happens in batches and our Misal took about 15 minutes to get to our plates. The wait, however, was well worth it!

Misal is one food item that tastes different at every place that serves it. There is no standard recipe and every restaurant and stall has its own. At Phadtare, the curry is thinner than usual and instead of Pav, it is served with a peculiar slice bread (the loaf is sliced at the shop itself). The curry is topped up regularly for free, while one has to pay for extra servings of potato, crisps and bread. The verdict - right up there with the best!

 
Apart from what we ate in Kolhapur, we also got a few eatables for back home, that are worth a mention.

Mithai - Kolhapur has a few notable local sweets and the best of the lot are the Kolhapuri Peda and the Gulkand Barfi.

Bhadang - This is an interesting snack made with spiced puffed rice and peanuts and is sold in packets in a lot of the shops. It is very popular among the locals and is eaten with chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Sounds a lot like Bhel, but it’s different.

And then there were some things we missed, given the short duration of the trip

Appe - This is a snack very similar to the Tamil Kuzhi Paniyaram and one can see stalls selling Appe all over Kolhapur.

Malwani Food - Malwani cuisine is originally from the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, which neighbors the Kolhapur district. Owing to this proximity, a lot of people from places like Sawantwadi and Kudal can be found living and working in Kolhapur. Naturally, their cuisine also makes its presence felt and you'll find a lot of good Malwani restaurants in the city.

Kolhapur may not have been on your radar as a place to visit, but I sincerely hope this post changes that. Apart from the variety of food on offer, it also has interesting medieval architecture, remnants of historic forts and striking cleanliness that will put Indian metros to shame. Do visit!

Monday, September 7, 2015

The gems of South Bombay vol 6 - Hotel Grant House

One way (among many others) to categorize restaurants in Bombay - and the rest of the country - is those that are 'multi-cuisine' and ones that specialize in serving food from a particular country or region. The subject of this post however, is a restaurant that cannot be slotted in either category. And while the ongoing series exclusively features restaurants in South Bombay that do a fabulous job of specializing in regional cuisines, this one is an exception. And it finds a place on this series of posts despite this oddity, only owing to the quality and consistency of the food it serves.

Hotel Grant House is conveniently located - right next to Haj House below the southern end of the JJ flyover and a walking distance from CST station. It was started by a certain Mr. Laxman Varma from Hyderabad, way back in 1951. It was simply called 'Police Canteen' at the time, owing to the policemen at the neighboring station, who were regulars there. The present name of the establishment has a bit of the city's history associated with it. It is named after Sir Robert Grant, who was the governor of Bombay in the 1830's and actually lived in the building that stood at the spot before the present structure came up!

In its early days, the menu at Police Canteen was simple and consisted of staples like omelets, scrambled eggs (Bhurji) and of course a Bombay favorite, the Kheema Pav. In fact, the super-popular version served at the restaurant today owes its recipe to early patrons whose frequent suggestions were used in experiments in the kitchen till the present (stellar) avatar evolved! Over the years, seafood preparations and other meat dishes were added to the menu. The proprietors are from Andhra Pradesh and their fiery native cuisine has also made an appearance on the menu in recent years.

The view of the restaurant from the outside has no-frills written on it in bold. And the interiors confirm that impression as well. There is no air-con, seating is plain and the kitchen is visible from the dining area. Clean but plain is how you would describe the look-and-feel.


 The decor of the restaurant however, is in complete contrast to the bloke who currently manages it. Shekhar Varma is Mr. Laxman's son and presently runs the restaurant's operations along with his brother. He is smartly dressed, speaks perfect English and is also quite media-savvy. In fact, he has appeared on Kunal Vijaykar's popular show 'The Foodie' where the restaurant's Kheema was featured.

 
From what I've said so far about the food at Grant House, it's clear that the place is hard to categorize on the basis of cuisine. The menu is a combination of Bombay classics, seafood specialties from the Maharashtra coast and some items from the owners' native Andhra. I've tried a few things in each of these categories and it’s all been really good. Let's look at this as a six-ball over by a deadly pace bowler - the likes of Dale Steyn and Mitchel Johnson - and see if we can get you out.

Ball 1 (Out swinger) - Kheema Pav

Kheema Pav is served all over the city for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is one of its favorite foods. Naturally, the title for the city's best Kheema is likely to be hotly contested. Most people would include Kyani & Co. at Kalbadevi, Stadium Restaurant at Churchgate and Olympia Coffee House at Colaba in their list of the city's best Kheema pavs. The Grant House version, with its use of coconut and long whole green chilies is different from the ones mentioned above, but it would be right up there if a taste test was held. They do other mincemeat recipes like Kheema Ghotala (with egg) and Kheema Bheja mix and they are pretty good too.

 
Ball 2 (Bouncer) - Surmai Chutney Fry

This one is definitely a bouncer! Green Chutney is usually stuffed in fish like Pomfret or Mackerel. Surmai (Indo-Pacific King Mackerel) with its meaty fillets can't really be stuffed. It's usually just coated with rava and fried or used in a curry. And this is where the folks at Grant House have displayed some remarkable creativity. The Surmai fillet is slathered with green chutney along with the usual salt-turmeric-chili powder mix and the whole thing is then coated generously with rava to hold it all together. The shallow fried Surmai Chutney Fry is sure to surprise and delight its first-time eater.

 
Ball 3 (The Slower One) - Bombil Fry

It's not called Bombay Duck for nothing. It's found in the shallow waters around the city in large numbers and is a favorite with the city's fish-eaters. It's a pain to cook though. It's slippery and full of moisture, which means it has to be drained well before frying. It's hard to get that right - and Grant House does. Its Bombil Fry is perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and is served with a green chutney (wonder if it's the one used for the Surmai)


 Ball 4 (In swinger) - Andhra Fish Curry

It's a shame the folks at Grant House have not included more items from their native Andhra cuisine on the menu. If this fiery fish curry is anything to go by, they definitely should. It stings your palette, and gives you a hard time the next morning, but will definitely make you come back asking for more. It's perfect with steamed rice.

 
Ball 5 (Off-cutter) - Desi Chicken

Its broilers everywhere and very few places serve country fowl these days. Grant House is one of them and they do a really good job. This one is pretty fiery as well and is best accompanied by Chapattis.


 Ball 6 (Yorker) - Mixed Seafood Pulao

Another example of some creativity at work. Most places would just serve a Prawn Pulao and be done with it. These guys have added crabmeat and other assorted fish and turned it into a favorite on the menu. Fine touches like the use of spring onions make it one of the best combinations of seafood and rice one is likely to find in the city.

 
Gotcha? Why am I even asking.

Address, reviews and other details - https://www.zomato.com/mumbai/hotel-grant-house-cst

Thursday, August 20, 2015

The gems of South Bombay vol 5 - Shree Thaker Bhojanalay

Gujaratis (or Gujjus as they are popularly known) have always been one of the most prominent communities of Bombay. In terms of influence on the city's culture, they are second only to Maharashtrians. Even the city's Hindi dialect (Bambaiyya) has a large number of Gujarati loan words. Known primarily as a business community, they wield significant economic clout in the city. Most areas in Bombay have significant Gujju populations, but Kandivali, Ghatkopar and parts of South Bombay are undisputed Gujarati bastions.

When not chasing the next lucrative business idea, Gujjus are known for traveling the world (does the phrase 'Patel snap' ring a bell?) and dining out. On any given weekend in the city, one is likely to find Gujarati families queuing up at the popular food stalls or occupying majority of the tables at most restaurants. So much so, that most restaurants in the city have now expanded the vegetarian sections in their menu (most Gujaratis are vegetarians) and some even have separate Jain menus.

But while South Indian, Indianized Mexican and Italian are the most popular weekend cuisines among the Gujaratis of Bombay, how about their own food? While an authentic Gujarati meal is best experienced at a dining table in a Gujarati household, there is one good option if you want to try the cuisine while eating out. That is the Gujarati Thali. As the name suggests, it’s a one-person meal (obviously vegetarian in this case), which in most cases is an eat-all-you-can combination of Rotis, Dals, rice and countless sides and desserts.

There are a large number of restaurants offering the Gujarati Thali in Bombay. And while there is a restaurant serving the Gujju Thali in most localities in the city, the largest number can be found in South Bombay. Not surprising, given the fact that many of its areas like Walkeshwar, Girgaon and Kalbadevi are Gujju-dominated. While which one of these is the best can be a matter of great debate among Gujjus and non-Gujjus alike, my vote goes to a certain 'Shree Thaker Bhojanalay'.

Thaker has been at the top of the ratings on restaurant review sites and TripAdvisor for several years now. And while that is not the last word on the quality of food at a restaurant, a stellar score across websites after  thousands of ratings and hundreds of reviews makes the case in its favor really strong. In fact, for the longest time, Thaker was Mumbai's restaurant #1 on TripAdvisor.

Finding this place is nothing short of a treasure hunt though. Tucked away in a tiny alley of Kalbadevi called Dadiseth Agiary Lane, this one is hard to find even with the help of Google Maps.
I have been here several times and it’s only after three or four visits that I could get here without stopping to ask for directions. But don't let this deter you - the reward at the end of this search is good enough! What's more, once you're in the right lane, a significant landmark in the city's history greets you on your way to the restaurant - Dadiseth Agiary, which lends its name to the lane, is the oldest Zoroastrian fire temple in the city!

 


The restaurant itself is on the first floor of one of the typical chawl buildings in the area and you have to spot the board announcing its presence at the building entrance if you don’t want to miss it. As you climb the creaking stairs, framed proofs of accolades gathered over the years greet you.




The air-conditioned and brightly lit interiors are in complete contrast to the dark corridors one passes through before entering. The staff, despite being super-busy at mealtimes seems to be trained in Gujarati hospitality, which makes dining here an especially pleasant experience.

Ordering can't get any simpler than at Thaker's. They have no menu as the standard Thali of the day is the only thing they serve. You get seated and a stainless steel plate with as many as ten bowls is dropped on your table. At this point it’s all empty and you have no idea of the assault that is about to begin.



Over the next five minutes, the large plate and the bowls begin to fill up. It’s hard to keep track of all that is served but here's most of it.

The Sides

- Kachori
- Dhokla
- Pakoda
- Chutneys (I could count at least four)
- Aachar (Pickle)
- Salad
- Farsan
- Papad
- Dahi Vada

The vegetable curries

- Potato
- Cabbage
- Mixed lentils
- Greens

The Dals

 - The typical Gujju sweet variant
- The standard savory dal

The Rotis (Three to four types including Puris)

The desserts

- Puran Poli
- Aamras



That is what it looks like after one round by the servers. And while it looks like a lot already, what the picture does not capture is the virtual (and persuasive) conveyer belt that the waiters form as they keep refilling each and every item on the plate. It's all really good and it’s only after you fear having no place for dessert, that you finally ask them to stop. And there's still that heap of rice to finish.



By the time you've finished the desserts, getting up to go to the wash basin looks like a daunting task. But as you drag yourself back through the dark corridor and dingy staircase, you know for sure that you will return to subject yourself to this again