good life
22 FEBRUARY 2015
RECIPES
FOOD TRAIL SARITA SANTOSHINI
Superfood
Eat Like a Local
Strawberries
I
fell in love with Hyderabad way back in 2005, when short breaks from boarding school meant hopping between tourist spots and gorging on meat in the most popular of its restaurants. I barely knew the city at all in those years, but I have been going back every now and then. My experience in this 400-year-old city has been different each time, but the only way I began to feel like a local was by slowly discovering its food. The restaurants, stalls and dhabas spread across Hyderabad reveal its exciting blend of cultures, history and modernity like nothing else does.
Food that is very rich in nutrients and considered beneficial for health is superfood. Strawberry is one such highly prized fruit ARUNDATI RAO
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hen the summer is not yet here and winter is on its way out, a short period of 4-5 weeks sees the Indian markets flooded with Strawberries. Those luscious red fruit which are grown in Mahabaleshwar and other similarly high areas, appear on the fruit carts and aisles in the supermarket. Strawberries have a lot of story and drama associated with them. Due to the timing of their appearance in the markets, they are just in time for Valentine’s Day and are a hot favourite to be eaten dipped in melted chocolate, baked into cupcakes or as dessert. It is easy to see why they are so popular. They look good, the shiny red colour is attractive, and the sweet and tart taste makes them perfect for snacking, adding them to salads or breakfast. A look at the nutritional element of these fruit tells us that they are nutritional powerhouses and pack in quite a punch. The fruit are a major source of anti-oxidants. An anti oxi-
dant prevents the chain reaction of oxidisation and prevents cell damage. How this is beneficial to the body is that anti oxidant foods, they help defend cell structures and protect the organs of the body. Strawberries are high in vitamin C. Infact eight strawberries provide more Vitamin C than an average orange. They are also high in their fibre and manganese content. Numerous studies have shown that strawberries offer protection against many cancers including breast and colon cancer. What’s more is that these little fruit could help in weight management by regulating appetite and increasing fat burning. If this is not enough to prompt you to reach for a bowl of fresh strawberries, then check out these easy recipes to enjoy this beautiful and beneficial fruit. Eating the fruit raw and fresh is best; however the classic way to preserve a fruit’s goodness is by converting it into jam or preserves. www.arundati.wordpress.com
Hyderabadi Biryani at Alpha Hotel A culinary experience in Hyderabad is best begun with its most treasured and famous, Hyderabadi Biryani. Ignore those who lure you into Paradise food court, and head straight into Alpha Hotel near Secundarabad Station. It’s spacious but expect nothing more than delicious food. They serve a huge portion of biryani to hungry customers within minutes. Alternatively, for breakfast, savour a cup of their Irani chai, Osmania biscuit (so named after the last Nizam ruler) and Keema roti – a favorite of the royals.
Strawberry Banana Breakfast Parfait
Hyderabadi Haleem at Shah Ghouse Café and Restaurant If you are lucky enough to be in the city during Ramzan, brave the crowd in Shah Ghouse Café and Restaurant in Tolichowki to try Hyderabadi Haleem. A stew of meat, lentils and wheat, it is a delicacy introduced by the Nizams that enjoys global demand today. Make sure to taste Qubani ka meetha, a Mughlai dessert made with apricots, while you are there.
Ingredients Oats Chilled fresh yogurt Honey Strawberries, sliced Banana sliced Assorted dried nuts
• Whisk the yogurt with the 1 cup honey till there are no more 1 cup lumps. 1 tbsp • Take two glasses, and layer 1 cup the parfait evenly. The first 1 layer at the bottom is oats, ¼ cup place two tablespoons of yogurt on the oats, layer with Method fruit and sprinkle some nuts. • Put the yogurt in a fine sieve and set Repeat till the glass is full. aside for 10 minutes till the water Chill before serving. drains out.
Hookah at My Café Latte A mention of Nizami culture is incomplete without a mention of hookah, a royal hobby that continues to be synonymous with the city. Though almost all cafes serve hookah today, My Café Latte in Karkhana is a favorite among young locals.
Powerhouse Strawberry Salad Ingredients Fresh Lettuce leaves, washed and drained Fresh Strawberries, hulled and sliced Cucumber, peeled and chopped into cubes Sunflower seeds/ Almonds or Pistachios Onion, sliced thinly For the dressing Virgin Olive (extra) oil Salt and pepper to taste Fresh lemon juice Honey 1
Andhra Cuisine at Ulavacharu Hyderabad also meets the culinary expectation of its Telegu community by serving some delicious, authentic Andhra cuisine. Ulavacharu in Jubile Hills is a must visit for its meat and veg pulao, Mamsam pappu charu (mutton dal) and Kodi chips.
1 cup 1 cup 1 2 tbsp ½
Dosas at Ram ki Bandi and Govind ki Bandi And if you are craving for the most delicious dosas in the city at the oddest hours, Ram ki Bandi in Nampally (open from 2 am to 5 am) and Govind ki Bandi in Charminar (open from 5am to 11 am) are your saviours. Their double cheese dosa is bound to make up for the lost sleep.
2 tbsp 1 tsp tsp
Method • Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together. • Toss half the dressing with the strawberries, cucumber, onion and set aside. • When ready to serve, place the lettuce on a serving plate, top with the strawberries and drizzle the remaining dressing on top. • Scatter the sunflower seeds or other nuts before serving.
NURY VITTACHI
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sparrow just flew into my window. Clearly the security guards are playing Birds with me. But I refuse to let anything distract me from delivering this crucial warning. Mankind is sleepwalking towards a global catastrophe. I am talking, of course, about the worldwide epidemic of poor clothing choices. On the morning of writing this I saw a huge number of people (two) wearing orange and brown checked golf trousers in public. This was in full view of delicate, impressionistic minds, such as those of small children and government ministers. At work, a colleague showed me a news report saying that an adult male wearing an ankle-length leopard-print dress walked into a bank in the US state of New Hampshire and demanded a teller hand over the money. He had no gun - his only weapon was his atrocious
dress sense. It was enough. She handed over the cash, realising that a person with such bad clothing choices had to be highly dangerous. I used to work with a punk rock fashion victim who once turned up with her buttons fastened out of alignment. When I pointed this out, she snarled: “It’s fashion, look it up.” I did look it up. It wasn’t fashion. But this line is incredibly useful for covering up all acts of sartorial stupidity. Me: “I think you sat on a twokilo lemon cheesecake and most of it is still attached to your nether region.” Her: “It’s fashion, look it up.” It’s not fashion. In London, the in thing for the rich is to dress like homeless people. This is tricky. I meet someone and never know whether to give them my business card or drop small change into their
HOME WISE
Cozy & Comfortable I
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t’s not easy living in a fast paced city like Mumbai. They say time never stops there and everyone is in a hurry to reach some place. Leaving your home early in the morning and coming back late evening to start again the next morning, this is the life of Mumbaities. Pratima Gupta, Founder of www.soulbyweekly.com talks to Meenal Upadhyaya who is a Mumbai based UI Designer on how after a maddening day she likes to relax at her home.
Tell us something about your home? Home for me is a place where I look forward to coming back every day after work. It may not be the perfect place with everything coordinated and designed by an interior designer. Most of the times, it’s not neat and tidy.What with two active 8 year old twins at home. But it is comfortable and cozy, very much an extension of our personality.
TRAVEL TALES
It’s fashion
Unique dining experiences For some unique dining experiences, Ohri’s is a clear favorite with its share of food courts and theme restaurants across the city, each distinct in its own way. Of the lot, Ohri’s Ruci & Idoni in Banjara Hills stands out for its lively ambience and delicious continental cuisine. The chicken nachos and three cheese baked mushrooms are highly recommended. Another popular chain, Cream Stone, is perfect for late night ice cream sundaes – try Willy Wonka or Fresh Fruits & Nuts. Since the city shares its space with some beautiful lakes, take time to enjoy them in Olive Bistro that sits atop a hill overlooking Durgam Cheruvu or Secret Lake. Best for its wood-fired pizzas and seven layer cake, the casual diner gives you your own space away from the bustling streets. If you want to escape the crowd and traffic even further, drive towards its northern outskirts to Evergreen Dhaba in Shamirpet. You can eat arguably the best butter chicken and aloo 65 there, and cosy up by a bonfire during winter visits. And perhaps somewhere, while feasting on delicious food in the midst of this culinary trail through Hyderabad, you’ll know why I can never stop going back to this city.
My bad choices another’s brave fashion statements mug. Getting this wrong is so humiliating that even half-remembering causes my head to reboot. Over-dressing sucks too. I once turned up at a function at a Grand Hyatt hotel wearing a hand-made Nehru suit. As I walked through the hotel restaurant, everyone kept trying to press money and credit cards into my hand, thinking I was a waiter. I seriously considered standing in the toilet for half an hour to collect tips. Thank God men don’t have to think about accessories. I'll never forget the time our dentist told my daughter she needed a crown. Big smile. “I know, right,” she grinned. I might go and ask my non-heterosexual friend for clothing advice, as he genuinely dresses better than I do. Must be something to do with all that time he
had to spend in the closet. At least I have never bought the wrong clothes in bulk. A division of the Chinese army recently appeared in public wearing a new uniform, according to a news report sent to me by a reader. When the soldiers sat down, more than 100 pairs of trousers ripped simultaneously - and audibly. I'm SO glad I wasn't there, as I would have laughed out loud: not a good idea when facing angry men with guns. What the commanding officer should have done, of course, is to pretend that the split, bottom-revealing trousers were intentional, by explaining to onlookers: “It’s fashion, look it up.” - (The writer is Asia-based frequent traveler)
Of all the places which one has your impression? My most favorite place in my home is my small terrace attached to the living room. Some time back
A scrumptious vegetarian spread of Ulavacharu - Travelyaari/ www.crumbsfromyourtale.wordpress.com
we got the roof covered and put in a transparent protective net at the open end so that it would be easier to maintain this space. I also planted a few plants in cheerful pots. Hubby and I debated a lot about the seating arrangement and spent many happy hours in stores looking for the right stuff. But we never found anything perfect and so the terrace remained empty with just a few plants. Then we decided to renovate the kid’s room. We wanted to remove the bunk bed in their room and get a double bed. It was then that I had a brilliant idea. I got a local carpenter to cut the upper part of the bed. So now we had two single beds or divans. I shifted the top part to the terrace, painted it a nice white, put some bright colorful cushions and a bed cover. A colorful durries from Rajasthan on
the floor and lo, we had the most cozy seating arrangement! A few precious family photos were framed and put up on one wall to finish the cozy effect. Anything you would like to add to the space? We plan to add a couple of comfortable chairs but only when we find the perfect ones! No hurry! How do you chill out there? Now it’s become what I call ‘my happy place’ in the home! Every morning before starting my mad Mumbai routine I have cup of coffee here. Family time, on Sundays, is spent here catching up on the week. We all have our Sunday breakfast lounging on the divan. The kids sometimes bring over their friends and I can serve them evening snacks which they immensely enjoy. Guests invited for a formal dinner end up having their food here sitting crosslegged on the durries. Any other place in the house you would like to remodel? Not anytime soon.