My regular experiments with food

I love to make life more interesting by making my food more interesting. Be it cooking the same food in different ways, or experimenting with some unusual ingredients- I have done it all. But my favourite pastime comprises experimenting with instant noodles. On my yet another visit to my favourite restaurant in Vasant Kunj, I tried out regular noodles made with a twist. The flavour was absolutely heavenly. When I requested the staff to explain the recipe to me orally, they actually did. I guess the universe does respond to our innermost desires in the most unexpected of ways. I went back home and tried out the recipe the very same day. Guess what, it was a complete disaster.

Let me tell you more about my other experiments with my noodles, most of which have been quite successful. I love to add lots of butter to my noodles. Even though the taste of butter overpowers the taste of other spices, I don’t mind at all. I have also tried adding cheese and pepper/oregano and that tastes amazingly well too. You might not like to hear this but let me tell you anyway. I have also tried cooking noodles in milk instead of water. But trust me it wasn’t that bad. To make the taste of milk less prominent, I cooked noodles in the mixture of milk and water. That tasted much better. I also recently learnt to cook noodles in a microwave oven from an office friend of mine. But guess what happened when I tried the same thing at home. Sigh!

Let me also tell you about my latest discovery. Just yesterday only, I ordered Eggs Benedict at a new restaurant and I must appreciate the dish. I was a little hesitant at first, but all my doubts were laid to rest the moment I had the first byte. If you too are crazy about food, do try this dish out at a nearby restaurant. I am sure you would love it!

Food and Games

The perks of living in a thriving metropolitan city for a foodie like me are that there’s a new restaurant around the corner everyday. So of course, come every weekend, I’m out and about scouting for new places to eat at –and boy, do I find many. Each one better than the other, this city offers up some of the best culinary treats.

And while I would never really stop my relentless journey for food, every now and then, I take a pause. By pause I mean I then tend to visit one particular restaurant a few times before I move on to another –mind you, I only pause if it’s really worth it, so restaurants better get your A-game on!

That’s the story of my discovery of Smoke House Deli.

The target area was set: Vasant Kunj. Background checks had been conducted: bless Zomato and Google. The contenders were looking proud and poised: every restaurant in vasant kunj. Now all that remained was a little game of inky pink ponky…

And that’s how I walked into Smoke House Deli one fine Friday evening. With the quirky décor, I’d actually secretly been wishing the game of pinky pinky would really land me there. So there I was, wishes fulfilled, curious and excited. I carefully surveyed the lively crowd (a Friday night, so you can only imagine), and shamelessly peeped at all the food on their table –my way of telling what’s best (I’m all for judging a book by its cover, looks matter to a certain degree, especially when it comes to food!).

So I placed my food order, and sipped on my freshly squeezed juice… and I knew in that moment, even if the food didn’t turn out to be amazing, I’d definitely be back for the drinks! But as soon as the food arrived, I was completely sold. This was going to be the restaurant in vasant kunj where I’d take a good long pause!

From Buffalos to Gourmet –The Tale of HVK

When I was just a little girl, there was no ‘HKV’, it was just plain old Hauz Khas Village –just another little assortment of zigzagging roads and cramped buildings, with buffalos and the likes strolling about… You get the idea. I doubt you could have found a single restaurant in hauz khas back then. The only reason I knew the place existed was because I would go to ‘Deer Park’ to play!

The only attractions for me were the deer, wide open gardens and dense trees that proved to be excellent for a game of hide-and-seek across kilometres of sprawling lands. And of course, there’s the (infamous) Hauz Khas Fort. To be fair, the situation there hasn’t changed much at all over the years –there were and will always be snug couples hidden away; so I’ve developed quite the tolerance to ignore all that!

But gone are the days of climbing up Hauz Khas Fort and feeding deer, now it’s all about going out to eat or club or hang out at ‘HKV’ every few days. Of course, that was but natural considering the fact that I’ve grown up now –and it seems ‘HKV’ has grown up with me as well.

So all zigzagging roads have now been fashionably done up, and the cramped buildings are now home to the best eateries of the city. While a decade ago you couldn’t find even a single decent restaurant in hauz khas village, now you will be spoilt for choice! Whether you’re looking for Italian or North Indian food, or just some good ol’ Burgers in Delhi, you’re bound to find everything you could dream of at Hauz Khas Village.

Well, times they are a-changing, aren’t they? So let’s not wallow in the past, keep up with the times and go out to HKV and grab some of the best Burgers in Delhi and live in the moment!

Confessions of a Glutton

A good meal is divine bliss –at least for me. And I’m sure many of you will agree! For every glutton at heart, good food (or just about anything that’s edible) is the best part of the day. Not to undermine a stimulating education or a job or anything, but when I go to bed each night, when I think back about the events of the day –if a phenomenal meal had been consumed, it’s the absolute highlight of the day! 

Does this sound just a tad bit crazy? Well, then go ahead and call me crazy, because I’m crazy for food! If I were to pick between my loves ones and the best Tenderloin Steak, honestly, it’d be quite a hard decision. 

Yes, I’m a relentless glutton. A good meal, for me, is the very definition of contentment. Just the thought of some succulent best Tenderloin Steak or a big juicy burger or even just a bowl of rajma chawal gives me goose bumps –I kid you not! 

I’ve reached a point where I just couldn’t care less about my weight; a good meal is worth having, even if it’s a million calories! So with my carefree foodie attitude, you’re bound to find me sitting at one of the many, many amazing restaurants in Delhi, gorging away on some dish or the other every other day (or at least every weekend, for sure, depending on the state of the contents of my wallet). 

And so with my love for food, I’m always scouting out a Famous restaurant in vasant kunj or the best restaurants in Saket, or Hauz Khas, or Khan Market or even anywhere on the periphery of the glorious city of Delhi. With all the amazing eateries, I’m pretty sure the city of Delhi is a glutton at heart too –just like me!

Smoke it up with Veggies

Get over smoked meat. The sizzling trend of red, smoked meat has taken a dazzling, green turn this season, with chefs 'smoking up' vegetables to give them a decadent, exotic spin. And why just vegetables? When it comes to fiddling with the kitchen contents, there can possibly be no stopping. Chefs of some of the famous restaurants in Vasant Kunj have already moved a step ahead by giving a smoky twist to cheese, butter, eggs, chocolate and even cocktails. Yeah, you read that right.

With molecular gastronomy picking up the culinary ropes a tad too fast, there is nothing out there in it that can't be fiddled with. Use a smoking gun and you'll understand why. Flavoring and tenderizing lies at the helm of the transformative science that makes 'smoking' such an easy-to-come-by concept in the first place.

The process of smoking is elemental, which eventually gives rise to something absolutely amazing. After all, smoking gives a delightful twist to the blandest of food and revs it up not only in taste, but in appearance too, hence making it hard to resist. It elevates the food from normal to valuable.
While the very process of smoking may sound a tad intimidating for the worry of an elaborate set-up and the fear of losing nutrition, the truth is far from it. You just need a charcoal grill that you can set up in your garden or your terrace and work up to it. As for the nutrition bit, no-- you don’t lose it just like that. Smoking, in fact, doesn’t kill nutrition but preserves it.

The smoky aura can further be lifted by pairing the right cocktails with smoked fruits, hence creating a melange of delectably novel flavours, too! Sounds heavenly, right? Tastes even more so! 

On-The-Go Breakfast Options

There could possibly be no questioning the fact that baking breakfast can be one giant pain for the not-so-morning people. Helping one to cobble together bread and other breakfast-y stuff can be a daunting early morning affair, like getting up in the first place wasn’t enough. But then, what do you do about the howling pangs of hunger in the tummy? Starving yourself to death can be ruled out, for sure.

Just to make life a little easier for the non-morning lot, here are a few on-the-go-breakfasts that can actually be good for you. Your health, I mean!

Throw a look!

-Apple Sandwiches with Almond Butter

Straight up almonds stuffed with almond butter may sound gross, but they’re not. They make for a sumptuous and a healthy breakfast—not to forget easy to make, too! You can go a step ahead by adding granola for the crunch, adds the manager of a restaurant in Hauz Khas.

-Skinny Omelettes

Skinny Omelettes? Okay, what are skinny omelettes?

They are nothing much, really, except for that they are made in form of a wrap. You just need to cook eggs in a crepe-thin omelette and fill it up with whatever edible you come across! It also makes for a perfect on-the-commute breakfast. What else can one ask for?

-Oatmeal squares

Trust Chef Major of one of the best breakfast places in Bangalore for this delicacy. Get rid of the early morning blues by cutting perfect squares out of oatmeal and munching them on your way to work. A fulfilling meal that they make, oatmeal squares are unbelievably healthy, too!

-Vanilla Smoothies

Not a munching person, are you? Kick-start your day with a glass loaded with antioxidants and all kinds of minerals and vitamins. Vanilla smoothies- kale and spinach blended ones—can be a morning treat to your taste buds.

Bangalore Takes My Taste Buds for a Ravishing Spin

Bangalore, with its thick and dense trees forming beautiful boulevards across the city and consistently wonderful weather, despite its now infamous road traffic, has become a hub for the Indian youth. And so I too, decided it was high time I paid a visit and found out what the fuss is all about! I had many friends who like many other youngsters, had flocked to Bangalore. So with a couch to crash on, and a flight ticket in hand, I began my Bangalore adventure.

What I didn’t realise was that apart from exploring the city itself, my taste buds were in for an exploration of their very own. From “I’ll take you to The Only Place, you’re going to love the steak there!” to “Oh my god, Millers Forty Six has the best burgers ever!” and “For dinner we’ll go to such-and-such place, and lunch tomorrow will be at so-and-so place,” I was being shuttled between the best of the best restaurants at Bangalore.

I fell in love with the fish in tomato sauce at Koshy’s. And believe you me I also ate fish biryani there! Fish biryani, who would have thought? Whether you’re looking for Tenderloin Steak or smoked chicken in bangalore, the city’s got it all. And moreover, I was still left with money in my pocket, after eating out every single day!

Amidst the metropolitan buzz of the city, you will find a majestic, old structure that houses the famous Hard Rock Café. The ambience at Hard Rock, with the friendly and jovial staff, classic rock music, and a menu that will make you salivate like a dog, is nothing short of brilliance. You will find some of the best Tenderloin Steak and smoked chicken in Bangalore here.

Since my return, I’ve been left impatiently waiting for the day I can go back to Bangalore and take my taste buds for a spin yet again!