New Delhi, Saturday August 15, 2009
14 food
didyouknow?Ahmed Aslam Ali, a restaurateur from Glasgow, Scotland, claims to have invented chicken tikka masala in the 1970s. Now, Scottish MPs are seeking European Union recognition for it
FLAVOURS OF FREEDOM ON INDEPENDENCE DAY, THREE TOP CHEFS BRING YOU RECIPES THAT CELEBRATE THE VIBRANT COLOURS OF PATRIOTISM — ORANGE, WHITE AND GREEN Potato Shashlik
Ingredients 125 gms fresh milk 300 gms white chocolate 10 gms gelatin 300 gms bakery cream 2 eggs (white & yolk) 50 gms orange crush 50 gms kiwi crush Method 1. Put white chocolate and milk in a saucepan and place over double boiler, or place a mixing bowl in a saucepan of simmering water, stirring constantly till smooth. 2. Melt gelatin in water and put in a microwave for ten seconds. 3. Beat the bakery cream until stiff peaks form.
4. Beat egg whites in another container till consistency. 5. In a big bowl, add egg yolk to the chocolate and milk mixture and hand beat it for two minutes. 6. Add melted gelatin into it and beat it again for a minute. 7. Now add the bakery cream into the mixture with a soft hand and add the beaten egg white. 8. Add kiwi and orange crush separately to get the flavour and colour. 9. One by one, set the mousse in layers according to colour in a glass and keep in the freezer for an hour before serving.
Namya Sinha
Chef Bill Marchetti
namya.sinha@hindustantimes.com
T
— NITA MEHTA, COOKBOOK AUTHOR
Tiranga cake Ingredients 300 gm refined flour 300 gm sugar 10 eggs 8 gm baking powder 22 gm cake gel 200 ml water 800 gm rich cream Orange and green colour Method 1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl in the serial order mentioned, except cream. 2. Divide the mixture into 3 parts. In one part, add 3 drops of orange colour and in the second, 3 drops of green colour. Leave the third part as it is. 3. Pour the three mixtures into different trays and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. 4. Whip rich cream while the
— CHEF MANAV SHARMA, IGNIS
Slice of Sicily ■
Method 1. For potato balls, take a bowl and mix all the ingredients listed for it. 2. Make small marble sized balls of this mixture. Deep fry till golden brown. Drain on paper. Keep aside. 3. For the sauce, mix soya sauce, tomato ketchup, salt,
he flavours of a part of Italy are wooing the Capital’s tastebuds currently, thanks to Chef Bill Marchetti’s trip to Sicily. The chef at Spaghetti Kitchen couldn’t resist bringing back the culinary delights of this region with him to India. The two-month long festival is offering authentic Sicilian food and wines — among the latter is the famous dessert wine,
Passito di Pantelleria. Talking about the nuances of the region’s cuisine, the chef says, “Sicilian food has lots of Arab influence and since Indians also have cuisines influenced by Arabs, food from this particular region will sit well with them. “Sicilians were the first to make sorbets and gelatos. So the festival offers amazing Italian desserts,” he adds. Orange and lemon flavours are a highlight of several dishes on offer. “Delhiites are already
MOHAMMAD ZAKIR
Tricolour mousse
Ingredients For potato balls 1 cup potatoes, boiled and mashed ½ tsp red chilli powder ¼ tsp bhuna jeera powder ½ tsp salt ½ tsp chaat masala 1 cup fresh bread crumbs For shaslik 1 green capsicum - cut into ½" triangle 1 firm small tomato — cut into 4 pieces and deseed, cut each piece into 2 pieces A few bamboo skewers or toothpicks
black pepper and vinegar in a bowl and keep aside. 4. Heat oil in a pan. Reduce heat and add chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add all the ingredients collected in the bowl. Cook for a few seconds. 5. Add capsicum and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute on low flame. Remove from fire. 6. Add the fried potato balls in the sauce. Mix lightly. 7. On a wooden skewer, first thread a piece of capsicum, then a potato ball and finally a piece of tomato. Serve.
For sauce 1 tbsp oil 1 tsp chopped garlic 1 tsp soya sauce 1 tsp vinegar 2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp crushed black pepper
appreciating the chicken marinated with orange juice and fresh herbs,” the chef informs. While Chef Marchetti follows the policy of “not changing the [authentic[ flavours”, he does tweak it to make it suitable for the host region’s tastebuds. “In India, if you give people the kind of Italian food served in North Italy, people would never appreciate it.” On talking about Italian cuisine in India, he says, “India has come a long way from Nirulas’ style of Italian food. Now Indians know that Italian food has more than pizzas.” The festival is currently on at Spaghetti Kitchen, Select Citywalk mall, District Centre, Saket
Salim’s comes to CP
Salim’s Kebabs is literally going places. The restaurant recently opened a branch at Connaught Place, and boasts the same scrumptious food as the original in Khan Market. After gorging on a host of dishes, our vote goes to the melt-in-the-mouth mutton kakori kebab and chicken malai tikka. For a quick fix treat, the biryani is a great choice — it’s prepared to perfection. They plan to offer kakori momos and achari kebabs soon, too! Where: 59, NDMC Market, CP Ph: 9278182784/85 Timings: 12 pm to 11 pm — ZABEEH AFAQUE
Thai green curry rules Almonds, fruits, fruit juice, eggs and cold coffee. I can't do without cold coffee. Favourite cuisine: Thai Favourite dish: Green curry Favourite restaurants in Delhi: I don’t eat out much but Earth Lounge is very nice, as is Tonino’s. The Monk has a good ambience but I don’t like the food there much. My cooking skills: I cook sometimes. I’m a decent cook — sometimes very good, sometimes decent. I make very good salads and make herbed potatoes/mushroom very well. Oh, and rosemary chicken, too! Fondest food memories: Dal pulao and naan khatai that mum makes. I still remember the smell of it in the house
hef Tarhini’s buffet spread showcases C some simple, earthy and heart-warming dishes from Lebanon. Apart from the hot and cold mezzeh, the stars of the menu were kibbeh with laban, stuffed baby marrow and baby eggplant and baba ganoush. End with the rich, traditional dessert, baklava. — Till August 16 at Cafe, Hyatt Regency Delhi, Bhikaji Cama Place; Cost (buffet): Rs 1,450 — GIRIJA DUGGAL
ment doesn’t want inebriated citizens wreaking havoc in the city) or as a mark of respect (it feels a drink is a slur on religious sensibilities). I won’t argue either of the viewpoints here thanks to a lack of space, except to say I disagree with Big Brother. My question is, how can a dry day ensure that alcohol is not consumed? All it does is encourage hoarding! Independence Day, like all other festivals and national days, is a day of celebration, not of mourning. A day to raise a toast the value of our freedom(s) and fundamental rights, not to curb them. So a government decree of prohibition of liquor is not just ironic — it’s a slap on the face of what I-Day stands for. I resent the concept of a Dry Day on ideological grounds. Much as I love the rains, I’d rather these two words remain a weather forecast.
CELEB KHANA/Chitrangada Singh, actress
First thing I have each morning:
From Lebanon, with love
H
appy Independence Day! So you’re spending the day relaxing and (hopefully) contemplating all that we, the free people of India, hold dear as our basic rights. Perhaps, towards the evening, you’d want to raise a toast to all those who fought for our freedom. Or maybe you’d just want to sit back and sip on a scotch on this welcome day off from routine affairs. Either way, you better have a well-stocked home bar, for you are not going to get anything from the local liquor shop. It’s no use heading out to a hotel either, as bars shall be shut to Indian citizens (if you hold a foreign passport, count yourself the privileged one today). Welcome to the I-Day dry day (yesterday was a dry day, too, thanks to Janmashtmi). Even as I write this, I overhear a colleague whisper to another, “Could you buy me a vodka on your way home? It’s a dry day on the 14th and the 15th, and I’ve got friends coming over for a party.” I have yet to figure out the rationale behind dry days. On October 2, it’s to pay respect to Mahatma Gandhi, so that’s understandable. (In fact, Anbumani Ramadoss pushed WHO to declare this day World No Alcohol Day!) On all other days, whether religious festivals or national holidays, it’s ostensibly for security reasons (the govern-
— CHEF DILIP JOHRI, TIVOLI GARDEN HOTEL
fter giving tough competition to Khan A Chacha for years,
MCT
GIRIJA DUGGAL
this, and repeat the steps. Lastly, top with the orange coloured cake. 6. Cover with cream (coloured orange) and decorate with chopped fruits and nuts.
REVIEW CENTRAL
Don’t leave us high ‘n’ dry TAVERN TALK
mixtures are in the oven 5. Remove trays from the oven and allow them to cool. Place the green cake onto a cake tray, sprinkle lightly with sugar syrup and add some chopped fruits. Then apply the layer of rich cream and level it. Put the colourless base on top of
when I used to come back from school. You knew immediately that mum had baked today. One sinful indulgence: Mango shakes these days, but there’s nothing that I die to eat. I’m not very fond of chocolates, except if it’s dark chocolate. Oh! And Twix! It’s something I can go through three at a time.
- AS TOLD TO GIRIJA DUGGAL
WHAT’S ON
Jashn-E-Aazaadi features varieties of lip smacking tricolour veg and non veg chaats, kebaabs, biryani & curries and more at Marbella’s,Tivoli garden hotel, Chattarpur. On till August 25. Tel: 9899563557
Staging of the play Taj Mahal Ka Tender by Mitr Cultural Society at Shri Ram Center for Performing Arts, 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House, from 7.30 pm onwards. The play is on till August 16.
FOOD
ART
◆ Beer
◆ Second Creator an exhibition of paintings at All India Fine Arts & Craft Society, 1 Rafi Marg. 1 pm to 7 pm. On till August 21. ◆ Connaught Place - The Why Not Place showcasing the Works
and Kebab festival featuring a variety of veg and nonveg kebab at Park Plaza, B-Block, Sushant, Lok Phase-1, Gurgaon. 12.30 to 3.30 pm and 7.30pmmidnight. On till August 16.
of various artists at Religare Arts.i, 7 Atmaram Mansion, Scindia House, KG Marg, CP. 10 am to 11 pm. On till August 23. ◆ Expressions at Tihar an exhibition of artworks at Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts, Janpath. 12 pm to 6 pm. On till September 2. ◆ Stop That !' an exhibition of paintings by Dr. Pranava Prakash at All India Fine Arts & Craft Society, 1 Rafi Marg. 1 pm to 7 pm. On till August 21. ◆ Step in Light an exhibition of photographs by Sohini Chattopadhyay at Art Konsult, 23, Hauz Khas Village. 11 am to 7 pm. Last day today. ◆ A Symphony of New Works a solo exhibition of artist Kamar Alam at Visuals Art Gallery India
Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road. 11 am to 7 pm. On till August 18.
OTHER ◆ Kavi Sammelan, in remembrance of Sahu Ramesh Chandra Jain at Amaltas hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road. 7 pm to 9 pm. ◆ Kashmir Shaivism a musical program by Kashyap Kashmir Sabha at Epicentre, Apparel House, Sector 44, Gurgaon. 5 pm onwards. ◆ The Freedom Fervour with DJ Barkha Kaul at F Bar & Lounge, The Ashok, 50-B, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri. 12 pm onwards. ◆ Mowgli’s Jungle, english play for kids & by kids at Epicentre, Apparel House, Sector 44, Gurgaon. 3 pm onwards.
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