Senti-Lentil

Dear Rushina,

As a young girl, my mother loved Kerhü, lentils which are grown predominantly by the Angami tribe and almost entirely alien to the Sema tribe to which she belonged. Thanks to relatives and well wishers returning from Kohima in the Angami area who brought ample supplies of Kerhü, my mother could indulge herself. But not without regular reproach from her parents and relatives. The story still told to me goes something like this. My mom would pilfer handfuls of Kerhü and pockets stuffed, eating these raw lentils everywhere she went. My uncle claims that soon there were Kerhü plants growing everywhere, in the garden, the hillside, the flowerbeds, the compound, under the house, in the playground. They would just have to find a Kerhü plant to know my mom had been there. And my mom often recounts how her father would jokingly threaten her saying if she didn’t stop, she would have to marry an Angami man. She never stopped and sure enough, she married an Angami man.
To this day, every time newly harvested Kehrü arrives at our house, my mom promptly puts a handful into her pocket and munches on them as if they were the most delectable snack in the world. In this case, the lentil didn’t fall too far from the tree (or shrub is it?). I love kerhü too. Raw, it has a wonderful nutty taste.

The Angamis make a fabulous tathu (which is like a chutney but not quite) with Kerhü. First the lentils are roasted lightly, chillies are baked in hot ash and ground with wild ginger and Dzacie (a much more pungent version of Axone or fermented soyabean). Then the Kerhü is mixed with the paste. The result is a mouthwatering extremely hot, crunchy tathu (chutney) which can be eaten with red tea, rice beer or with food.
Kerhü when cooked becomes viscous pale maroon gravy. Add a little ginger and dried bamboo shoot and you have a fragrant, mildly tangy gravy, much like a rich dal makhani. But there is no better way to have Kerhü than with meat.

A particularly cherished example that comes to mind (and mouth) is a thick broth of wild boar and kerhü I ate at my aunt’s place one winter. Kerhü tastes fabulous with wild bird meat as well. With a modest supply of Kerhü at hand and a lucky visit to the butchers where I found a gorgeous cut of pork thigh (or it found me), I decided it was time to treat myself to another pork and kerhü curry.

Now I hear the Parsi Dhansak is also a rich broth of meat and lentils. If only I could try sample some soon...

Facebook | Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal

Facebook Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal: "150 fans on Facebook, help me reach 200 and I will send each of you a gourmet gift handmade by me!"

The Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal fan page officially reached 146 two days ago. 146 was my number at school (Mayo Girls) and I have always considered it a lucky talisman. I would like to thank each of you that have shown your support. "THANK YOU!"

I would also like your help to make this page grow. Help me reach 200 (or more) by 1 May and each member that has signedup by 12 midnight on 1 May will get a bottle of a signature creation of mine handmade by me. I am not sure what exactly you will get and it will only be a tiny offering of a jam, nut butter or a spice mix (things I love to make) but I promise it will be something yummy and made with lots of love :-). Of course the logistics of sending out 200 botles is a little challenging and might be difficult to do outside Mumbai but I will work all that out (I can hear Arina's and Theyie's sighs of resignation already).

While I sort my end of things out, please come and sign up on the page @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushina-Munshaw-Ghildiyal/178099380752

Thank you for your supprt so far. Look forward to lots of foodie adventures going forward!

Rushina

Mad about Meat

Dear Rushina,

When I first moved to Mumbai, my cousins took me to Leopold café. As I relished their beef mushroom soup and beef chilly, I remember thinking Mumbai would be full of great non-vegetarian places. Imagine my utter shock when I moved to Chembur and only found vegetarian places. To be fair, I later discovered that Chembur can boast of a considerable number of great non-vegetarian places. However, in the beginning, all I saw were vegetarian restaurants. It was a dark and gloomy time for me complete with the raging monsoon rains to bear witness. Not accustomed to how big and busy the city was, my timid attempts to venture out were largely unsuccessful. And the meat lover in me grew more ravenous and rabid, leading me to throw caution to the wind. I began frequenting very shady ‘bar restaurants’ in Chembur camp on my own to devour plate upon plate of chicken and mutton!
These were desperate times and even as I succumbed to the measures they called for, I knew I was living dangerously. This had to stop soon. I needed to get my fix with less risk involved. As if the universe feared for me, serendipity intervened and one afternoon, when the rains had paused for a rest, my friends invited me for lunch at Sunny’s. Now the thing about Sunny’s, like most other great restaurants is that, it is located in the most obscure corner of Chembur. If someone doesn’t take you there, you’ll never find it. Past Chembur station, under the bridge, under another, in the midst of furniture shops, a bakery and a booze joint, a sign with Sunny’s (the logo , no prize for guesses, is a sun with rays) diffidently lets you know you’ve arrived.
My ever grateful memory must narrate my entry into this now hallowed space in slow motion. Filled with men, women, children eating all sorts of wonderful exotic looking fare, I felt at home at once as we walked past them to the ac section. It was there, that my friends introduced me to south Indian (specifically Kerela) non-vegetarian food. Until then, I always thought all south Indian was vegetarian and basically masala dosas at that. Thanks to my outraged friends from different parts of ‘south’ India, I am now aware that this is perhaps the gravest misconception I am guilty of to date, and I have gladly committed the rest of my life to atone for it.
I had my first taste of Chicken Chettinad and marvelled at the complex medley of spices that flavoured the meat. Their mutton sukkha was unlike anything I’d tasted. Thanks to Sunny’s, I left my perilous practice of eating at ‘bar restaurants’. I had somewhere safe to go every time I craved meat. Now content, I calmed down enough to explore Chembur more leisurely and found many other fabulous non-vegetarian restaurants such as Oceanic, Le Café, the restaurants around diamond garden. My newest discovery is the café at Oro spa which serves great salads.
As far as meat is concerened, I am far from sober. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. But thanks to Sunny’s, I’ve learnt to indulge in my addiction in as safe a manner as possible.

Chew on this ... A little seasoning can add so much to a ‘dish’...

Chew on this ... A little seasoning can add so much to a ‘dish’...
Recently I did a salad in which I tossed some Fleur De Sel that my friend and fellow food writer Marryam Reshi sent me a while ago. Fleur de sel which is French for ‘Flower of salt’ is a salt that is hand-harvested by workers who scrape only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans.
Traditional French fleur de sel is collected off the coast of Brittany and is added to a dish just prior to serving. So I kept it simple and tossed a bowl of greens in some olive oil from an Italian friends home press, with a little Fleur De Sel and coarsely ground pepper and served it immediately. Fleur de Sel is composed of irregularly shaped grains of salt that are slightly moist and form flake like clumps. Added just before eating they give dishes a salty crunch that holds it’s own alongside flakes of pepper. This combination is also great to season a good chicken breast, toss prawns in post cooking just prior to serving, or sprinkle over French Fries warm from the pan!
And then as I applied my latest discovery to one of the Amuse Boushe I was cooking up for the Natures Basket Delhi showcase, a rather interesting conversation lead to a stray thought....
A friend who is more salt than pepper was scolding another younger fellow, for assuming that all men with white hair are old. He stated that a lot of women like the salt and pepper look and cited George Clooney as an example.
I couldn’t agree more.
And that lead to the thought that in cooking, seasoning ‘Is a process by which the natural flavours of any type of food are enhanced. Commonly these seasonings are salt and black pepper can be all that is required to make a delicious dish.’
Every ‘dish’ gets more delicious with a little seasoning of Salt and Pepper!
There is just something about a man of a certain age, with salt and pepper hair, distinguished, dapper and self possessed, he stands apart from the crowd and inspires confidence. (And a few other feelings if the delicious winks of silver at my darling husband’s temples are anything to go by... I just love them!)
The Salt and Pepper Prawns that inspired such ‘profound’ thoughts!
500 g large fresh prawns - cleaned and deveined
2 tsp Fleur de Sel
2 tsp roasted peppercorns crushed coarsely
2 cups peanut oil; for deep frying
2 cups shallots sliced
Kaffir Lime leaves to serve
In a small bowl, combine the coarse salt, pepper and set aside. Heat a wok or deep skillet until it is hot and add the oil. When the oil is very hot and smoking, add the shrimp and deep-fry for about 1 minute or until they are pink. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon and drain well. Pour off all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil (the residual peppercorns should have settles at the bottom) and reheat the wok. Add the shallots and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Return the shrimp to the wok and stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes until the shallots are crunchy cooked. Line a platter or small bowls/Chinese spoons with Kaffir lime leaves and transfer hot prawns to the serving platter over the leaves. Serve immediately.

Bites on the launch of Godrej Natures Basket Delhi...

One of the best things about being a consultant is that I often get to be a part of the most important part of any business, new ventures. Last week I had a call from Nature's basket, asking me to fly down to Delhi and help with showcasing them for their launch. I accepted with reservations. Leaving my kids to go anywhere is always a struggle. Besides, time was short and I had to showcase upwards of 5000 products in one day? And that too, to some of the most discerning palates in Delhi!

Some thinking later I homed in on a series of little Amuse bouche offerings. Amuse Bouche are a favourite concept of mine since they allow for a wide variety of small offerings. And since they are a sort of prelude to a meal or little surprises served to set the tone of the meal to come, a trend associated with gourmet chefs and restaurants they would be glamorous enough to suit such an important occasion for Nature's Basket. I would not showcase too many products but I would show off the best that NB had to offer.

The Sparkling storefront the day of the launch party!

But that was only the beginning, now came the task of infusing a world of flavours into 10 small bites. Over the next day or so, I made lists, tried and retried recipes, went back to the drawing board multiple times when I found out ingredients I planned were not at the Delhi store. I picked crockery for serving, and changed all the recipes around again to suit my finds, then I found absolutely FABULOUS containers to sample my Amuse Bouche in thanks to my friend Pooja of Le15 bakery and changed everything all over again! But things were progressing well and I was feeling more upbeat.

And then in the middle of all this, my darling older brother, who has always been a smiling benovelent source of happiness and guidance in my life, took terribly shockingly ill.I was tempted to pull out but it was too late and unfair to let NB down. Dramatic as it sounds, I resolved to give it my best, because if anyone would be proud of me, it would be him. (It would mean travelling to another city bur at least I would be doing something more than just waiting!) And somewhere in me I thought that perhaps, just perhaps, if I worked hard enough on this, perhaps God would send a few brownie points his way to aid all the prayers and medical care.

Me with Bikramjit Ray, the man behind Secret Kitchen on CNN IBN, meeting him was oneo the highlights of the trip!

As good as my intentions were, it was a mammoth task to actually apply my mind to the undertaking and by Monday the day I was to fly I was wired with a lack of sleep and on tenterhooks! Of course it is Murphy's law that best laid plans are meant to go wrong and I arrived to chaos. Nothing was ready and we had to have a table full of deliciousness ready by the next morning for a series of media interactions! We prepped late into the night and I headed home for a few hours of elusive sleep with my hand on my phone.

Luckily the deadline for laying out the food was pushed back a little the next day. I got to work with my fabulous team of NB's Food Specialists and began readying the platters. We had meat, antipasti and Cheese platters to set out in addition to all the Amuse Bouche. I had to make a few last minute changes when my miniature Korean Bimbimbap bowls and Milli Fiuili of French style Ratatuoile did not work out but in the end things worked out and our final menu was laid well in time and was a breeze for my team to repeat the next day for the Launch Party.

The fabulous men I am honoured to work with at NB, although one of them was playing truant! Eh Manish??

In the end everything was received very well. Delhi’s finest turned up in their dozens, I hung about on the fringes being shy by nature and not feeling like partying anyway, but indulged in a couple of glasses of wine and revelled in the reactions to the Amuse Bouche. But being part of something new, working with a team towards a common goal is very rejuvenating. I returned home to Mumbai exhausted with feet that are still aching from running up and down all through in heels (thanks to the vanity of us women) and I feel drained from a lack of sleep and too much thinking but a HUGE smile of welcome from my daughter was good medicine and those brownie points seem to have come my brothers way because the doctors report that there is a minor but positive response in his treatment.

The Amuse Bouche I created.

Amuse bouche are single bite sized appetisers, combining unusual flavours beautifully presentation, Akin to food art on one's plate... so I had chosen very carefully. I chose to keep combinations simple, I will share the recipes in subsequent posts but here is the thought process behind my selections. With a little inspiration from Russian cuisine I piped swirls of Smoked Salmon onto Rye multigrain crackers and sprinkled over a few bits of garlicky chives.

Finding the most fabulous Kaffir Lime leaves in the fresh produce section and loath to mess with their shiny gloriousness I scored them with a peeling knife and served them under hot Salt and Pepper prawns in Chinese soup spoons so the savoury prawns absorbed the aromas from the leaves.

I repeated an old winner of a recipe in my Asian Zesty Glass Noodle Salad but I spiked them with fresh Thai birds eye chilles and put spoonfuls in bowls made of thin slices of Tangerines topped with a little orange braised tofu and a sliver of Thai chilli.

Again the Miniature Vietnamese rice paper rolls were a repeat of an old favourite but they looked adorable lined up on the lovely long rectangular platters with a little bowl of thai sweet chilli sauce at the end - very Zen I thought.

Considering that we had flown the first of the Seasons Alphonso Mangoes into Delhi especially for the occasion I had to showcase them so I seared the surfaces of a few mango cheeks and cut them into cubes, layering them with cubes of honey baked ham from the meats section and drizzling a little chilli oil over the whole still warm ensemble at the end.

I also found out that it was Navratri the day I landed, which meant a lot of people would be vegetarian so I also did a batch of mango topped with ricotta and flaked salted almonds.

Strawberry and Green peppercorn cups, showcased the absolutely AWESOME red tasty sweet ORGANIC strawberries we had also flown down for the occasion (Delhi has a lot of foodie things going for it but I am sorry to say the quality of their strawberries is totally dismal!). I tossed the strawberries with a pinch of sea salt, organic honey and green peppercorns from Keya. I topped this with a dollop of Mascarpone and mint crushed with more green peppercorns.

And lastly came my most elaborate dish Peanut Butter and Cranberry Cups inspired by the PB&J in which I layered salty Peanut butter, sour cranberries, dense chocolate sauce, and topped it all with a bit of Mascarpone and granola. They were so sophisticated to look at and yet simple enough for a child to make!

Momomania

Dear Rushina,

All in all, my trip to Delhi served its purpose. I returned to Mumbai with the most ghastly flu, but mentally and emotionally restored and ready to start over. During my two weeks there, I sought refuge and reassurance in friends and food, most often these two together. Minus my disastrous solo Momo binge in Karol Bagh which left me with a terrible stomach, the rest of my foodie forays were carried out with friends and family in tow.

And no respectable foodie foray in Delhi would be complete without Momos. Tibetan in origin, these steamed dumplings of thin flour sheets stuffed with meat and condiments are wrapped in different styles and serve with a water thin clear soup and spicy chutney. Momos are omnipresent in the Capital. As a group of voracious 18 year olds in Delhi, almost a decade ago, we would descend on the small street side stall of ‘Momo aunty’ at Lajpat Nagar Market and gorge on delicious mutton (and then chicken when those were exhausted) Momos. It wasn’t the prettiest sight unless you were part of the pack. It was a surreal time when my frighteningly fast metabolism allowed me to eat three plates of pork Momos at the Nagaland Stall in Dilli Haat, then move on to the Sikkim stall for another two plates of deep fried mutton Momos. The Momos at M Block market weren’t bad either, stuffed with chicken and served with a biting chili sauce. And nothing revived you from a marathon bargaining session at Janpath than the numerous Momo stalls in the market.

At 22, I was back in Delhi, this time in Delhi University’s North Campus. I discovered the revered Momo’s point in Kamla Nagar Market where I stuffed myself, albeit in more modest portions. But I will forever be indebted to my friend Nina who introduced me to Majnu Ka Tila and the most divine beef Momos at Tee Dee restaurant.

You can understand that it was not without a generous helping of sentimentality and nostalgia that I began to retrace my old Momo Haunts. I planned my pilgrimage so that it would culminate in Majnu Ka Tila, with Tee Dee’s beef Momos as my Holy Grail. I walked through the labyrinth that is Lajpat Nagar Central Market and returned broken hearted as ‘Momo Aunty’ was nowhere to be found. My cousin consoled me later. Apparently there’s a fabulous little place called Chingwa, run by a Tibetan that may satisfy my Momo cravings the next time I’m in Lajpat Nagar. The Momos at both the Nagaland and Sikkim stall were faithful like my favorite verses in the Bible.

Momo’s Point at Kamla Nagar was, if it’s possible, shadier and shabbier than before. The Momos not up to par, I stepped out and walked over to Noodles, the slightly fancier and better lit restaurant next door and cleansed my palate with an understated thukpa, noodles served in a clear soup of vegetables and meat.

I scheduled an entire day to visit Majnu Ka Tila. If you get time to visit on your trip to Delhi, you’ll understand why. Nothing on the vast arid highway prepares you for the time warp that is the Tibetan settlement next to Majnu Ka Tila gurudwara.



You step in to find signs in Tibetan script, maroon(ed) robed Tibetan monks and Tibetan men of all ages sunbathing, playing carom or cards or just loitering on narrow streets. Those parts of the streets not occupied by them have stalls which sell everything from precious stones, silver, Tibetan literature, to goods from China.
To get to Tee Dee, one has to walk to the courtyard outside the Tibetan school and climb the stairs to the restaurant. The interiors were just like how I left it in my memories. Always crowded, guests are given a blank notepad to write down their orders (very dangerous, when you see the things the offer on the menu, from innocuous thukpa to tongue chilly fry).
Orders all written, we waited with bottles of fruit beer to keep us company. The food arrived and we dug in.



It wasn’t the same at all. Even the beef Momos tasted more like their sanitized Mall food court cousins. Nirvana was nowhere to be found that Saturday afternoon. But as I write this, the Pavlovian foodie in me still salivates in honour of the Momos in my memory. Taste buds, like elephants never forget.

Vote for your favourite restaurants on The Miele Guide 2010

Attention all foodies!!! It’s election time again...not for politicians but for the best restaurants across Asia.

I have been on the panel of the Miele Guide since 2009. When I first joined it, I realised that the choice of restaurants was skewed. I hoped to correct the balance with joining the panel. Since 2008 the Miele Guide has been growing as a source for information on the best restaurants to dine at in 18 countries across Asia - Brunei, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Every year the team at Miele guide carry out a survey and voting in a systematic four round process to make a comprehensive list of Asia’s best restaurants.

In the first round a panel of Asia’s top food critics shortlist the best restaurants. The second and third rounds are carried out simultaneously online where the public, professionals from the food industry and prominent foodies are invited to cast their votes. And in the fourth round the team members across Asia pay mystery visits to the highest ranked restaurants to confirm the annual ranking of Asia’s top 20.

The public voting for 2010/2011 will be open from 10th March to 19th May 2010. So all you foodies out there go to www.mieleguide.com and cast your votes to see your favourite restaurants on the list. Before you do that here are a few points you should keep in mind while casting your votes:

(1) The quality of the food served

(2) The ambiance of the restaurant

(3) The level of service offered.

Remember this guide is a reflection of the taste of Asian foodies all over!

PS: The Miele Guide application for iphone and ipod touch is now available at the apple app store. It is a must have for all foodies in Asia or travelling to Asia.

Dear Theyie - Happy Holi! Food and friends...

Dear Theyie,
I know what you mean about food being a common connect. Our home is a crossroads of many festivals in true Mumbai style. We celebrate every festival; Sanrant is melange of Gujarati and Maharashtrian, Diwali incorporates everything and Id calls for Biryani and Seviayan at the very least. The influences of he food cooked at these times is dependant on who takes the onus in the kitchen. My fabulous house keeper and maids bring in a variety of maharashtrian influences from Konan coastal ones to those from the interiors of the state. I throw in everything else...

We had a great holi this year. Holi the festival of color has different foods associated with it around the country. The Marwari community make Kanji Vadas, to combat the irregular festive eating of the day. These kanji vada are d umplings of black gram soaked in fermeted mustard spiked water. Thandai is also popular on this day. In Maharashtra, puran poli, a sweet, stuffed chappati made of channa dal and refined flour (maida) are served warm with clarified butter or a bowl of milk.

Holi does not have any real traditions foodwise amongst us Gujaratis but Shekhar being from the North, has a lot of memories of Holi goodies. In North India Gujias (semi circular pastry cases stuffed with sweetened solidified milk enriched with dry fruit are washed down with Kanji a lightly fermented beverage made with dark purple winter carrots. If I can get my hands on the purple carrots thanks to some kind soul coming from Delhi I mak Kanji but if not, Gujiyas are a must!

And they are made in a family Gujiya making session and as you can see above with everyone pitcing in! This year Natasha added a lot of Cute Quotient to the proceedings. We captured memories of her attempts at making Gujiyas, being bathed in flour and then pigging out on them as well. She also looked adorable in techncolour!

Umm I am afraid the camera was forgotten once the Gujiyas began to be fried so i do not have a picture of the final product. But here is the recipe to compensate!

Gujiya
Ingredients:

1 kg maida

1/2 kg mawa

100 gm almonds

100 gm pistachios

5 gm cardamom powder

200 gm castor sugar

1/2 gm saffron

100 gm ghee
For the sugar syrup
1 kg sugar
500 ml water

To make

Add the chopped almonds, pistachios, cardamom powder, castor sugar and saffron to the mawa and mix well. Roast it lightly in a pan, on low flame. This is the filling for the gujiya. Make a soft dough out of 1 kg maida and 100 gm ghee adding warm water. Divide the dough into balls and roll each ball into a small chappati, about 4 inches in diameter. Place tbsp. of the mixture in this chappati, moisten the edges with a little water and fold one side onto the other. Fry to a golden . You canthn make sugar syrup out of the sugar and water and pour over the gujiyas. Allow excess syrup to drain and transfer to airtight boxes.
Serve garnished with saffron strands and pistachios.

Dear Rushina, Food and friends

Dear Rushina,

In my stay in Delhi so far, I’ve made it a point to visit as many of my friends here as possible. Some old some new, some lost and now found, our reunions have been wonderfully invigorating. One special woman who was on top of my ‘to meet’ list was my friend Shilpi’s mom. I first met Shilpi’s mom in Mumbai when she came to visit her daughter last year. Aunty cooked for us. Fluffy silken rotis, voluptuous dal makhni and tender delicately spiced paneer curry and I was won over from my first bite! Though Aunty is more comfortable conversing in Hindi and I in English, food was the common language we spoke and we got along famously.

So I called her when few days ago and made plans to visit. Meeting Aunty again and that too in her impeccable home, we continued our conversation about food. In true Aunty style, she whipped up some dal and paneer curry in a flash and served it with her fantastic rotis. She also served me this utterly delicious thing called Dahi Bhalla and then some cool kheer for dessert. The food was comforting, interesting as was our conversation. She mentioned a moong dal halwa which sounded very interesting and I hope to try it the next time I visit her. So with this visit, I was able to strengthen a new relationship.

I also discovered that old friends of mine were in Delhi as well. While planning to visit my old students and my cousin in JNU, a very old friend of mine called saying she was also on campus doing her PhD. Emeni and I were roommates in college. And yes, food played a very important role in our relationship as well. I came down to JNU last night to stay the night with her and was greeted with chicken and pork curry. We sat and ate to our hearts content and reminisced till 4am over cups of green tea.

As I plan to meet another friend tonight for dinner at her place, I cannot help but think how important food and shared meals are in my life. One very important cultural lesson my father taught me is about sharing food. When I was 13, we went for a village feast where everyone was eating from wooden plates in the open. After we’d eaten, I walked with my father as he met with people. When we got to one villager, eating to his heart’s content, my father sat down in front of him and began to pick food from his plate as they spoke. Odd thing, as we’d already eaten, I asked my father about it later. He explained that through this act of sharing, he had tacitly conveyed to the man that he was his equal and friend, and declared to the village that this man was his friend. Famished foodie that I turned out to be, this was perhaps one of the most important lessons I learnt from my father.

This is why I chose to attend the Sekrenyi festival celebrations organised by the Angamis (my tribe) in Delhi. A traditional festival of purification, it is a time for the community to come together and feast, among other things. In this personally difficult time, I couldn’t think of a better way to belong and heal than by sharing a meal with my people.

I hope you are enjoying your Holi in Mumbai.

Lots of Love,
Theyie