Aamlicious festival at Khandani Rajdhani

The best part about Summers is getting an opportunity to relish the King of fruits~the mighty Mango. Mango is used in both its raw and ripe form in a wide range of food all over India. 
I look forward to relish my favourite fruit in a variety of dishes and so when I received an invite from Khandani Rajdhani to experience their Aamlicious festival, there were no second thoughts.
I have a weak heart towards the Rajasthani and Gujrati food because I have friends from these communities since my school days. A visit to their house means relishing their simple and flavourful food. 
Khandani Rajdhani, is a personal favourite . I have enjoyed their grand Thali many a times when they opened first in Kolkata. Last Durga Puja, I was pleasantly surprised to see them opening up in the heart of the city, Park street. At Khandani Rajdhani, they believe in pampering you big time. From the moment you enter their restaurant till you leave with a happy heart and a full stomach, the staff continues to charm you throughout with their smiling faces and caring nature. 
All this and more were reasons enough to make my husband babysit our daughter while I walked down to Park street to enjoy my Aamlicious day. 
I was warmly greeted by Debjita Mallick, the PR & marketing Manager, and the rest of the staff. The traditional Tika was adorned on my forehead and I was seated with a big thali with numerous little bowls.  

While me and Debjita got our seats and started talking about everything, the manager politely urged us to begin with the starters which were already served to us. The polite servers always make it a point to tell their customers the name of the dish they are serving. On my plate was an array of starters like sprout keri kanda salad, Maharaja shahi dhokla, keri samosa served with 4 different types of chutneys. The Kairi panna served alongside was perfect for the scorching afternoon. 

The most lovely part about eating at Rajdhani is that you are so well looked after. There are servers who keep an eye on your plates and keep urging you to try more, almost like a close relative who loves to feed you till you start crying full. 

My plate soon had dishes like the famous Ragda patties, Aam ki launji and dal baati churma which came loaded with a spoonful of ghee. 

The main dishes of the day were Paneer makkhanwala, flower capsicum, Aaam batata chips tindora, choula, panchkuti dal, surti dal, kadhi. All this was served with Phulka, puri, rotla adn my favourite Khuba roti. We also had khichdi and rice as options. 

The desserts of the day were  Shreekhand, Corn halwa, Malpua with rabri and Aamras. 

The Aamras that they serve is from Alphonso mangoes from Mumbai.

The entire meal was nothing short of a sheer delight. The simplicity and flavour of the dishes were so pronounced. My favourites were the khuba roti with keri tindora sabji, the ragda patties, the keri samosa, the yummy raw mango chutneys and the delicious Aamras. 

Their Aam ki launji needs a very special mention. For me it was the dish of the day. The sweet, sour, spicy flavours along with chunks of raw mango bowled me over. 

Pic courtesy : Khandani Rajdhani

The Aamlicious festival at Khandani Rajdhani is on throughout the Summers and will have a special rotational mango menu with 2-3 special dishes from raw and ripe mango. Some of the dishes on their menu will be the delicious and rare Kairi Chana Dal Dhokla, the inventive Kairi Samosa Sabzi, lip-smacking Mango Kofta Pulao, exotic Malabari Mango Kadhi and the regional delicacy Mango Pachadi, evergreen favourites like the Mango Raita, Fajeto and Aamrakhand and the Mango Jalebi for all those with a sweet tooth.

Find out more about them here. 

Happy mangoeing

Amrita

Sindhi Food Festival, Taj Bengal, Kolkata

An invite to a Sindhi Food festival at Taj Bengal, Kolkata, made me sit and wonder about my knowledge of their food. After all I am a Sikh, and Sindh (now in Pakistan) was once a province of undivided Punjab. Therefore, their food must be very similar to ours. At least that's what I thought before I began my quest to understand the intricacies of a cuisine which has influences from the invasions of Mughals, Arabs and Turkhans. 

My early memory of hearing the word Sindhi in relation to food was from my Grandmother which was for a vegetable variation of Kadhi. Punjabi Kadhi is more full bodied with onion and besan Pakodas in it while the Sindhi Kadhi which we used to eat was a lighter version with a variety of vegetables in it. Another dish I grew up knowing as a part of Sindhi food was their delectable breakfast dish called Dal pakwan. I would simply love the crispy pakwans paired less with the dal and more with the tamarind chutney my aunt would serve it with. And who can miss hearing a word or two about their Sai Bhaji. But that was just about it, my knowledge of Sindhi cuisine.

With invites like these it is naturally more of a learning experience for food lovers like us and I was happy to be there representing Kolkata Food Bloggers. 

The beautiful rural and rustic interiors of Sonargaon, the Indian restaurant at Taj Bengal makes you transport back to a village setting. The walls have been given a mud look, the vessels used are traditional and there is even a faux well which adds to the grand charm of dining there. 

While we waited for Chef Haresh Keswani who is a master in Sindhi cuisine, we were served a light and refreshing drink called Matho which is basically buttermilk with boondi. As I was telling my mom later on, basically a thin liquid version of a boondi raita. Drinks like these are very common in that part basically to beat the harsh heat. 

Out tables were soon adorned with huge and beautiful Thali's which were showcasing the choicest of dishes representing Sindhi food. Sindhi food as we learnt from the chef himself is basically very simple food with minimal spices.
For starters we relished on a simple Sindhi Fish fry and Sanna Pakora which was basically crispy vegetable fritters. 
Our vegetarian fare had stars dishes like the famous Sindhi Kadhi which personally disappointed me as it was nothing like the kadhi I have been eating. Chef Haresh enlightened us by telling that original Sindhi Kadhi is not curd based and is made only with besan. The Sindhi Sai Bhaji was a clear winner as I could see most of us finishing it off from our plates. This was a seemingly simple dal and spinach preparation. Another dish usually cooked as part of homely meals was the Tri dali Dal. 
Our Non-vegetarian dishes were the Handi Murg which to me was like a very homely cooked onion based Punjabi chicken dish. The Phote bhugal gosht was lamb meat cooked in a rich gravy and flavoured with cardamom. 
To pair the dishes we had Bhuga Chawaran which was rice cooked in caramelized onions giving it that lovely light brown colour. In the bread section we had Koki masale wari which was parantha with Sindhi masala. 
The Tamatan ji chutney (sour tomato chutney) was a lovely accompaniment with the dishes. 
For Desserts, we were served Baata jo Seero which is a broken wheat halwa with assorted nuts. Also served were Nariyal ji mithai and Moong dal halwa. 

On display were the mainstays of the Sindhi cuisine-dals, papads, wadis, makhane etc

Chef  Haresh Keswani

You can relish Sindhi food at Sonargaon, Taj Bengal as a part of their ongoing festival till the 13th September, 2015 as Lunch and Dinner.  

The vegetarian Thali is priced at Rs 1700/ + taxes

Non vegetarian Thali at Rs 2100/ + taxes

Sea Food Thali at Rs 2400/ + taxes

Amrita

Hilsa festival at The Gateway Hotel, Kolkata

Hilsa or Ilish is a fish that food connoisseurs esp in Bengal die for. Monsoon being the best time of the year to relish on the magic of a Hilsa, The Gateway Hotel, Kolkata have come up with the most awaited Hilsa Festival which is on from 10th July to 26th July, 2015. 

We were invited as part of Kolkata Food Bloggers to ride on this gastronomical ride and enjoy the delicate flavours of Ilish. Executive chef Asish Roy was very kind to guide us through the dishes on list for the festival and informed us of the carefully selected recipes that belong to West Bengal and Bangladesh. 

We were served with a Mango lassi kind of preparation which is from Bangladesh and is called Mango Labang. This was soon followed by a Thali of some carefully selected dishes showcasing the specialties of the ongoing festival. The starter called Ilish Pithe, another Bangladesh specialty, was an amazing way to get introduced to the wonders of the Hilsa. Thereon we savoured on many dishes like Doi Ilish, Ilish Tok-jhal, Ilish Mishtikumror jhol, Ilish Pulao etc. A special mention goes to the amazing dish called Smoked Hilsa where the chef has used western flavours by using fillet of boneless Hilsa smoked with jasmine rice, honey and a dash of pommery.

The festival is on for Lunch-12.30hrs-1500hrs and Dinner- 1930 hrs-2300hrs

Meal for two-INR 1500 aprox, inclusive of taxes(The price is based only on main course items)

Enjoy glimpses of the lip-smacking Hilsa delicacies

Mango Labang

Ilish Pithe

Smoked Hilsa

Ilish Mistikumror Jhol

Narkol diye Ilisher Paturi (Boneless)

Ilish Pulao

Doi Ilish

The review Thali

The entire spread

Amrita & Vishal

Paranthe wali Gali at Swissotel, Kolkata

Swissotel Kolkata at their Durbari Indian Restaurant innovated with yet another novel idea " Paranthe Wali Gali" where they take you through a gastronomical journey reminiscent of Old Delhi. Paranthe, for many homes in India, is  comfort food. It is so versatile that the combinations and articulation of them can be endless. The Durbari at Swissotel has gone a step further to bring the intricate techniques on the platter that truly represents the very comfort food of India in a way that becomes a celebration to enjoy.

  

The malabari paratha is a Kerala specialty of layered refined flour bread served with vegetable stew. With a subtle hint of the coconut fragrance, it was loved by all and was counted as the favourite. 

The Chicken tikka cheese parantha stands by its name with whole wheat flour bread filled with spicy chopped chicken tikka and cheese. 

The Warqi paratha mesmerized everyone with its softness yet crispy and flaky texture. This is a speciality of the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, and is considered as one of the difficult parathas to make in terms of the technicalities that is involved with it. It truly won hearts of many.

Soya paratha came in as a healthy choice with whole wheat flour bread filled with spicy soya bean. 

The Mughlai paratha is a Kolkata speciality of bread cooked with egg and was a meal in itself with its hearty filling.

The menu boasts of more ranges of parathas like the Gosht keema paratha, mixed veg paratha, palak paratha, paneer paratha, ajwain aloo paratha etc. All parathas are served with aloo bhaji, pickle, curd and laccha onion.

The parathas were surprisingly very less oily, soft and with amazing flavours. All of us at Kolkata Food Bloggers had a terrific time in enjoying the combination of the dramatic monsoon and the indulgence of warm parathas. 

The paratha mania is on at Swissotel till the 28th  June, 2015 at Durbari.

Happy Paratha-ing 

Vishal & Amrita

Shuktara Cakes

The boys(image taken from http://shuktara.org)

An invite to attend new launch of products in French Patisserie was enough to make me jump on the opportunity and reach Park mansions where the occasion was held last Friday. Intrigued by the name and the mission, I read up on their website and was amazed at the story. 

Shuktara is a charity that provides care in a home environment to children and adults with disabilities who have been orphaned or abandoned. 

Shuktara Cakes is the brainchild of Alain Cojean, who runs a chain of restaurants in Paris called Cojean and a Foundation called Nourrir, Aimer, Donner (Eat, Love, Give). Alain was so deeply touched that he decided to give vocational training by starting a French Patisserie training centre. A team of boys were taught the intricacies of French Patisserie by Fabien Rouillard, former Head Executive Pastry Chef at Fauchon, a gourmet food company in Paris and Shuktara Cakes was officially launched on 10th March, 2013. 

Shuktara cakes serve you with the best quality of French products like Madelienes, Financiers and cakes.Their range of fresh baked cakes include Chocolate cake, Marble cake, Fruit cake, Orange  & poppyseed cake and Cinnamon & Walnut cake. 

Financiers, as Lora Chantebel, business consultant, told us uses traditional French recipe made of almond powder, flour, eggs and sugar, shaped like a ingot, and are perfect for tea time or breakfast. She also enlightened us on the history which says that a French pastry chef called Lasne invented them to delight financials without getting their hands dirty. 

Madeleines, a small cake with shell shape is created in assortment of colours by team Shuktara Cakes. 

Friday saw the launch of new flavours in Madeleines - Chocochip, Chocolate and Orange.

With their bright packaging and amazing aunthentic flavours, Shuktara Cakes are really a treat. Shuktara cakes take orders and deliver high quality products and can be contacted here : http://shuktara.org

Enjoy the glimpses of the evening that was enriched with the lovely smell of French Patisserie. 

Chocolate cake

Orange and Poppyseed cake

The attractive packaging of Madeleines

Financiers-my personal favourite and their best seller

The new flavours in Madeleines

Amrita

Mango Marvels-a workshop at Afraa Deli, Kolkata

Mango is truly the king of fruits. This gorgeous golden full-of-nectar fruit is awaited every Summer with baited breaths by most of us. I am no exception and so the mere name of Mango and a workshop with it made me jump on my feet and nag the not-such-a-mango loving husband to drive us to Afraa Deli, Salt lake on 12th of this month. The fact that I was just back from a horridly late train journey did not deter my love for the fruit.

Mango Marvels-the workshop was further special to us as it was the first of its kind in association with Kolkata Food Bloggers. A simple quiz was held on KFB page and the winners were invited to attend the workshop and get other goodies. 

We had the privilege to have Afraa Deli's Bakery and pastry chef Debopom Sinha guide us through the intricacies of some amazing and exotic desserts like Chocolate Mango Lava Cake, Red velvety Mango Mousse cake, Mango Pannacota with coconut jelly. His easy instructions and live demonstrations of minute details enriched us with recipes of some yummy mango delights. Their executive chef Dibyendu Ghosh was kind enough to sit through the entire session and help us learn from the one of its kind workshop.

The happy participants got to taste the unique Mango desserts in the end which are available at Afraa Deli's outlet for their ongoing Mango festival. Do make the most of them while the season lasts. 

Till then enjoy some glimpses of the fun we had:

Pastry chef Debopom Sinha

KFBian Urmi Ghosh

Hands on workshop

Mango Planter's Punch

Chocolate Mango Lava cake

Red Velvety Mango Mousse Cake and Mango Pannacota with Coconut jelly

Magnum Mega launch, Kolkata

Magnum finally arrives in Kolkata.

Magnum is one of world's leading ice-cream brands and takes pride in the fact that they have collaborated with the finest Begian chocolate Callebaut. 

Kolkata Food Bloggers were invited to attend an evening of glitz and glamour for the launch of Magnum at Taj Bengal with the dapper chef Kunal Kapur and the pretty Soha Ali Khan.

The Magnum masterclass with chef Kunal Kapur began with the introduction to the world of Belgian chocolate and the composition of a dark, milk and white chocolate. The entire audience was enthralled with the chocolate facts. With a high percentage of cocoa, Belgian chocolates are certainly very rich and indulgent. 

Our tables were soon adorned with bars of premium ice cream and my pick was the Magnum Chocolate Truffle. 

A rich, creamy chocolate ice cream coated with world's finest dark chocolate, my Magnum experience was truly a chocoholic lovers dream come true. With each bite, I enjoyed the distinctive cracking from the coated chocolate on the ice cream. 

Chef Kunal Kapur prepared a patishapta, a traditional bengali dessert, and filled it with chunks of Magnum ice cream with some help from Soha Ali Khan. The dish was sprinkled with some colourful toppings.

The whole thing left me unimpressed as I found that it is best to leave Magnum in its original state to make the most of it.

The evening came to an end, with each table being given the chance to make their own Magnum Sundaes.

Kolkata will soon get to taste Magnum from March 1, 2015 and it will be available in three flavours-Classic, Almond and Chocolate Truffle. Priced at Rs 90/- for each bar, the ice cream is indulgent but definitely worth the money. 

Happy Magnum Indulging

Amrita

New Menu launch at Pan Asian, ITC Sonar

Celebrated as India's finest East Asian Restaurant, Pan Asian introduced an award winning repertoire of culinary traditions from Across East and South East Asia to Kolkata.

Along with Team Kolkata Food Bloggers I was immensely looking forward to the invitation to the launch of the New menu at the ITC Sonar, Pan Asian Restaurant.

The East and South-East Asian Cuisine in the offer at the Pan Asian is generally an assortment of dishes from regions of China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines. The East Asian regions also brings flavours footprints from Mongolia, Macau, Korea and Tibet etc.

The East Asian Cuisine by large is very versatile in nature and generally tends to adopt the local flavours of the countries where the cuisine has traveled to. I was particularly looking forward to get the authentic flavours of the dishes from the regions that they were derived from and the chefs who were specially flown in for this very purpose, having tremendous expertise in the same, exhibited the true art and soul of the East Asian Cuisine.

Non-Vegetarian Starters

 The Non Vegetarian starters comprised of dishes like Lemongrass Fish (Stir fried fish essenced with lemongrass), Kushikastu (deep fried crumbed chicken skewers) and Yam moo (Traditional Thai pork salad). The lemongrass fish won the hearts of everyone as it displayed a perfect blend of flavours that represented a true Cuisine of South East Asian culture. 

The deep fried chicken crumbed skewers were very delicately put together with chunks of chicken spaced with bell peppers and onion wedges and perfectly deep fried in batter to form a light yet crisp coat.

The pork salad lean, soft and succulent meat was dressed with a sublime hint of chili dressing that gave the dish a beautiful mildly spiced salad outlook with fresh vegetables. 

  

Vegetarian Starters

The vegetarian starters consisted of Chongqing crispy fried lotus stem, Yam woon sen phak (glass noodles salad with vegetables) and Chao Shao qie zi (Stir fried eggplant in Chinese barbecue sauce). 

The deep fried lotus stem was certainly a very interesting dish. Little bit more strongly spiced it is traditionally derived from a colder parts of China where the exaggerated usage of spices is generally done to combat the harsh cold climate. The glass noodle salad sure did give a very different outlook to noodles as it is generally known around the world with its very attractive glass like look with the addition of fresh vegetables and light chili dressing. The stir fried eggplant was very crisp and light in texture.

  

Sumashi (Japanese Seafood Soup) was very dramatic having sea fish, prawn and squid. The sea food ingredients and the sea food broth was served differently. The soup was asked to be mixed to the bowl having the sea food ingredients, giving it a very dramatic experience.

The Main Course spread was as elaborate as the starters. 

Non-veg main course spread

The main course non-vegetarian dish consisted of steamed prawns and glass noodles, Muxu Chicken (stir fried slices of chicken with white fungus and cucumber), black pepper pork spare ribs and Nasi Goreng which is the Malaysian version of famous rice preparation with prawn, chicken and dried shrimp paste.

The black pepper pork spare ribs was very soft and had a beautiful presentation and a subtle pepper flavour that was not over powering. 

Vegetarian Main Course Spread

The Vegetarian main course had Stir fried pokchoy,mushrooms in soybean sauce,  Asparagus and garlic glazed bell peppers and Babycorn with spicy tomato, water chestnut and onions. 

Both the asparagus and the baby corn dishes wore a wonderful presentation of thinly sliced mix of bell peppers. The mushroom in soy bean sauce was again wonderful in presentation but the soy bean sauce was a bit more intense for my liking.  

Coconut Ice Cream

The icing on the cake was the dessert which was Ice cream Kati Sod which was homemade young coconut ice cream served in shells with coconut jelly. The extremely beautiful presentation was coupled with a very natural coconut ice cream with coconut jelly.   

  
The East and South East Asian New Menu Launch at the Pan Asian ITC Sonar was indeed one of the finest dining experience in the field of their respective regional cuisines. The true authenticity represented the ethnic character of the East Asian cuisine without the dilution of the evolved spices that usually comes with the local markets. This indeed makes Pan Asian the destination to relish the best of the combined East Asian Cuisines.

Hours- On weekends, Lunch- 12:30 PM to 2:45 PM.
            Through the week - Dinner 7 PM to 11:45 PM

Vishal 

Disclaimer: The views presented above are solely the unbiased perspective of the writer. The writer was invited for the launch of the event and was not paid monetarily or otherwise.