Hog some in Hyderabad

So, ok, these Nizams of Hyderabad were fat people, loved their meats and sweet dishes. Hyderabadi cuisine first attained its essence when Sultan Quli Qutb Malik migrated from Delhi in the 16th Century. Since then Hyderabadi food has been a mixture of Awadhi, Mughlai, Turkish and Arabic cuisines along with Telegu and Marathwada cuisines. The overall picture of Hyderabadi food is Biryani served in earthen or brass pots and truckloads of meat side dishes. But there's much so much to this cuisine than anyone can imagine.

This winter, I went to Hyderabad with three purposes (ek teer teen nishana)- 1) to attend a far-off relative's post-wedding celebrations (and that relative's father happens to be Bramhaji, a fairly popular face in Telegu cinema because of which the ceremonies were grand and I even got a sneak-peek at the ever-so-famous Singham badass Prakash Raj), 2) to do some site-seeing within the city for the umpteenth time and the new places- Nagarjuna Sagar, Andhra and Bidar, Karnataka, both 150km away from Hyd, 3) Celebrate the joint birthdays of me and my brother (no we are not twins, he is 7 years older and probably 2 times taller and wider) on 18th Dec and also meet a friend. During this period, I tasted almost every popular food item in Hyd Cuisine excluding the magnetic Hyderabadi Haleem as Ramzaan is long gone and many months later. My taste buds savored some incredible Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani with Mirchi Ka Salaan and Dahi ki Chutney, Baghara Baingan, Shammi and Tikka Kebabs, Puran Polis, Kulfi, Date Halwa from Karachi bakery and Qubani ka Meetha with ice cream along with some phenomenal non-Hyderabadi dishes such as Wasabi Prawns in Dasapalla, Tortellini in Via Milano and Siew Mai in Mainland China. The most unique experience was dining in a restaurant which resembled the interior of a train meant for the Sultans to commute. Named Sindh Sahib Sultan, even if the food (except the Roti pe Boti) is not over-the-world (and I couldn't eat much due to my ever-so-recurring stomach issues), the decor gets a thumbs-up from me.

Historically rich, technologically booming, culturally immensely diverse, with its amazing weather; gastronomically, Hyderabad is one of the best. 

Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale

Their motto is as simple as that- To provide fresh, clean, nourishing and superior quality food products to our customers at reasonable rates.

Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale is one of the largest manufacturers of Indian snacks and food products based in Maharashtra. The reason for this post is that a friend had gone to his hometown (Pune) a month back and brought me loads of Patal Poha Chiwda and Baakarwadi and would appreciate if I write about the Chitales. The first one is basically fired puffed rice mixed with spices and nuts. The second one is the most popular item made by the Chitales and is a pack of these mini spring rolls, both pungent and salty in flavor. Both are incredible.

Their site says:

"Following in the footsteps of a successful dairy business established by Shri B. G. Chitale at Bhilawadi in the Sangli district of Maharashtra state in 1939, Shri. Raghunathrao (Bhausaheb) Chitale, his eldest son, promoted the firm of Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale in 1950 in Pune, Maharashtra.

The firm began its operations in the heart of the Pune city at Bajirao Road and is still in existence there as a major and modern selling outlet. Eventually, one more principal outlet at Deccan Gymkhana, Pune was opened, the expansion being the brainchild of Shri. N. B. (Rajabhau) Chitale, the younger brother of Shri. Raghunathrao. The inspiration behind venturing into a dairy based food products business was of course, Shri. B. G. Chitale."

In addition to snacks, they manufacture and sell sweets, dairy products, dry fruits and ready-made mixes like dhokla, gulab jamun, vada, etc. What they are really famous for are their Shrikhand which comes in various flavours. So, next time you are in the educational capital of Maharashtra, do track down Chitale and gorge on the scrumptious delights. (By the way, the you've to roll your tongue really well to pronounce the 'L' in Chitale.)

My favorite eateries @NTU

NTU as has been quoted 'must be the the "foodiest university"' consists of about 25 food courts /eateries with each food court serving various cuisines of the world. I can't really decide as to which is the best as there are too many good ones.Out of the 25, I have visited just around 6 and established my comfort zone. As open as I am to experiments, unlike most Indians (obsessing about whether the item is vegetarian, and I don't blame them, everyone has certain choices and constraints), still, there are some food items, I like to best stay away from. E.g. the half-boiled eggs, chestnut drinks, Durian ice creams, fish ball soup and Sotong/squids. Most big food courts have several Chinese Stalls and one Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and drinks/fruits/dessert stall. My usual hangouts are:

1) Canteen 11, next to my hostel, where the Tekka centre serves tasty and oily North-Indian food. The saag puree is to die for, but they are increasing the prices exponentially lately. There's also a sought after waffle stall and a popular juice shop serving all kinds of drinks, dessert and side dishes. Sultan Gate seems tempting, serving Arabic Cuisine (maybe I'll try it today).

2)Food Connections: Located near the Lee Wee Nam Library, it is extremely popular and crowded during lunch hours. My favorites are the Western Food Stall, Indian Food Stall, Nasi Padang and Indonesian Food Stall. People try to avoid the Vegetarian Food Stall a lot though. We get pretty reasonable beverages, desserts and cold drinks at the center of the court.

Baked Rice

3)The New World Cafe: I am not prejudiced against any cuisine, in fact, I love experimentation (with food alone :P) but fear that I'll end up ordering the wrong things of other cuisines. So I stick to the Indian stall here, Komalas which serves scrumptious South Indian treats like Dosas, Idlis, Iddiappams, Uttapams, Thalis and North Indian Breads, Thalis and curries. The Mysore Masala Dosa is by far my favorite dish at NTU.

Kway Teao

4) Koufu @South Spine: This is one of the biggest courts. Of the various stalls, I've tried the Indian (mainly South Indian style of cooking, but great tasting), Dim Sums (ok-ish), Desserts and Drinks (fulfilling), BBQ chicken salad in the salad and pizza shop (thumbs up) and noodles in a shop I forgot the name of (delicious and cheap).

Koufu

Besides these, I've tried the Pao in Canteen 2 and vegetarian Chinese in Canteen 14 (average). If you are a fast-food/brand freak you can make regular visits to McDonald's, Subway, Canadian Pizza and Starbucks. Besides there are several other canteens and cafes you could try- Nanyang Executive Cafe, Sakae Sushi, Mr Bean, etc. Whatever it is, you'll never go hungry if you're living the life at NTU. This is just the beginning for me.

Images: Internet Sources

6 food tips for the single graduate

This is for all my batch mates who freshly graduated. Most of you have already started working, some are going to or are already pursuing their Masters' degree, like me, and some have opted for some coaching for further studies. Well, be it work load, study pressure, laziness, attempt to save money or just absence of a mess like we had in college or mommy at home, people tend to neglect their health by either overeating or starving themselves by skipping meals. Here are 6 tips which may prevent that from happening to some extent.

1) Avoid instant noodles: My friend Meghna a.k.a. Maggie mostly survived on Maggie throughout 4 years of college. It's a miracle that she's still alive. Instant noodles may instantly cook but there is nothing instant about what follows. Each time you consume instant noodles, it takes 2 days to clear out the wax from your system. And nobody lived any longer by eating loads of MSG. Once or maximum twice a week is the limit.

2) Eat breakfast like a king: Wake up a bit earlier than you do. Keep your options open. Toast and eggs, Semolina or Suji, Cereals, Sandwiches are quick fixes. Skipping breakfast may affect your efficiency and nobody wants to work on projects with a rumbling stomach.

3) Buy that fruit: I adore fruits, in fact, I'm obsessed with them. And I don't even need to tell you why YOU should eat them. So, instead of playing so much 'Fruit Ninja' on your smartphones, buy some real fruit and demolish it. Do this at least 5 times a week. Those fruit juices in tetra-packs are full of nothing but sugar, artificial color and preservatives.

4) Oats: Remember that story where a poor girl found a magic pot which cooked porridge whenever she said "Cook little pot, cook." and overflowed the village with porridge. Sorry to say, you are going to have to do your own cooking, unlike that girl. However, you can customize your oats as to what kind of porridge you desire. Oats is a bland mix meant for the "Bimaar" you may say. But you can perk your sweet porridge up with fruits and nuts as you do with your cereals or you can cook your salty porridge with loads of spices, vegetables and even minced chicken or egg.

5) Make dinner at home: You will have the whole weekend to gorge on junk/rich food. As for lunch, you will obviously experiment with it in and around your office/institute premises. But try making yourself a simple and light dinner at home on weekdays. Cook some pasta or boil some daal and roast some vegetables to go with your rice. For the lazy days, you always have those soup packets and ready-made mixes. But make sure those lazy days are few. Always keep some basic Indian spices such as turmeric, cumin and chili powder handy.

Indian Spices

6)Stressed is desserts spelled backwards: Occasionally indulge! Ice-creams, pastries, cheesecakes, pies and custards- splurge on them at times. Oh how I miss those Indian desserts already: Rasmalai, Halwa, Kheer, Bengali Sweets and much more.

I want some more food lah!!

Sorry folks I have been out of the blogosphere for quite some time. It's just that it takes a bit of time to get adjusted to a new place. Yes I've joined NTU, Singapore for my masters programme in Power Engg., as most of you already know, and food has taken a backseat, as everything is so expensive. A Chapatti for a dollar, a small bowl of paneer for two, a pathetic Biryani for five, a decent snack in an average Thai restaurant for thirteen- that's a lot to deal with. Nowadays, I've learnt to eat for survival, like normal people do. A glass of orange juice and a bowl of saag puree too seem like delicacies. Eggs are my salvation and Mustaffa my grudging retreat. (Mustaffa is a large mall in Little India which has everything Indian- from Poha mix to Mysore Sandal soap, from ready to eat packs to Indian 'jhaarus', but the distance from university and the overflowing crowd kills all the fun of shopping, hence I use the word "grudging".)

We have a pantry in each floor of our hostel, so the small things are taken care of. At least one meal in one of the canteens is ascertained. Fancying a nice pastry or an ice cream (any flavor but Durian), is well, just fancying. But, when in Singapore, do as the Singaporeans do, right? So 1$ should be 1Re. and Voila! You get your meal for 4 Rupees. Well, that theory has to wait a year, at least, until I complete post-grad and start earning. Till then, I have to be able to survive with the "Eat to live" attitude or just wait for the Malaysia and India trips to gain a few kgs OR I have to find solace in free snacks of Dim Sums, Curry Puffs and fishcakes after the seminars I attend. Goodbye food and Hello studies.

All they do is chomp in HOMP

'Highway On My Plate' or HOMP has been my favorite food show for quite some time. I'm sure that those who already know Rocky and Mayur must be also finding them as hilarious as I find them. For those who don't, HOMP is a food and travel show on NDTV Goodtimes where two childhood friends travel across the country to explore various cuisines. They started off the series by traveling to several 'Dhabas' along the national highways all over the India. Then they explored a bit of South-East Asian cuisines. When that got over, they "ate like Gods" in all the Indian festivals in various cities. Then they went to numerous schools and colleges to find out which school/college canteen is famous for what special dish. This was followed by them travelling along the Indian peninsula from coast to coast, devouring different types of coastal cuisine, starting from Gujarat and finishing the season off in the Sunderbans. The show has been renewed for a fresh season where Rocky and Mayur will travel across the hills to experiment with the local delicacies.

What I love about the show is their unique style of presenting and the poorest of the PJs they crack. E.g. they point at few fishermen on a boat and proclaim "Something's fishy". They literally translate the 'Vada Pao' as the 'Big Foot', etc. All their episodes start with "We're back. And we're hungry." and at the end of the episode, they give us a "food quote" which is a 4-line poem summarizing how their experience was during the course of the episode. Sometimes the quotes are as silly as they can be and sometimes 'pure genius'. Either way, they don't fail to make you laugh. Also they give us a report card on 1 or 2 major restaurants they have visited in the episode, in terms of taste, ambiance, service and value for money. Mayur, being vegetarian, sometimes struggles, especially in the 'Coast to Coast' season, and all his co-host cum friend Rocky does is give him merciless grins and chew away all the seafood and meat. Besides food, they also give some general information about the place they are visiting/ traveling through. Watch NDTV Goodtimes at 8PM to catch a glimpse of HOMP to see them chomp.

The Blind Cook

"Feeling my way through food, tasting my way through life", says her food blog (The Blind Cook- Sightless Adventures of Gastronomical Proportions). Christine Ha is an inspiration to all the chefs around the globe. Masterchef USA Season 3 winner Christine Ha is the first blind contestant and winner of such a show and says she has to rely on other senses- such as taste, smell and touch to concoct her dishes, which are mostly of Vietnamese origin, as is she.She suffers from an autoimmune disease due to which she started losing her vision in 2004 and was completely sightless in 2007. Even though she cannot see, she has had a different kind of vision- a vision to popularize Vietnamese cooking and to prove the world that differently-able individuals can also reach the apex of prosperity. She even wrote a cookbook which hit the shelves in May 14, 2013- "Recipes from my home kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food."

A simple yet unforgettable evening meal

The menu:
1.Corn on the cob
2.Mushroom with bok choy
3.Grilled salmon steak
4.Carrot coleslaw

Accompaniments: Red wine

Method:

1. Corn on the cob:
i)   Peel the corn and boil in salt water in a pressure cooker.
ii)  Let them cool and cut in to half.
iii) Heat butter in a pan. Add salt, pepper and lots of lime juice.
iv) Add in the corn and stir fry for a minute.
Corn on the cob is ready.

Mushroom with bok choy and corn on the cob

2. Mushroom with bok choy:
i)   Roughly slice a packet of bok choy and a few Shiitake mushrooms.
ii)  Heat oil in a pan, add grated garlic and salt to it.
iii) Add in the bok choy and stir for few minutes.
iv) Add some ground black pepper, soy sauce, red/white wine and the mushrooms.
v)  Cook for about a minute and it is ready to be served.
Note: Bok choy is a leafy green vegetable mainly found in Southeast Asia. You may replace it with spinach. And if Shiitake mushrooms aren't available, you may use button mushrooms.

3. Grilled salmon steak:
i)   Marinate the salmon fillet with salt, pepper, lime juice, chili flakes, Dijon mustard and garlic paste. Keep aside for an hour.
ii)  Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
iii) Fry each side of the fillet for about 5 minutes and Voila!

Fish steaks grilling away

If you don't get access to salmon, you can alternately use any fish fillet you fancy. e.g. Bhekti.

4. Carrot coleslaw:
i) Grate half a carrot.
ii) Add 4 tsp mayonnaise, salt & pepper to taste, half tsp sugar and mix well.
Coleslaw is ready to be served.

Coleslaw

Bon appetit!!

The complete meal

! 

Momo Chronicles

Everybody's mouth starts watering on mentioning 'Momos'. I have not, till date, come across a single soul who doesn't like them. Be it of any shape, cooked in any method or consist of any filling, I adore momos. In fact, even if you give me a plateful of momos every day, I will not be bored of consuming them. These delightful dumplings just melt in your mouth and are the ideal snack for a cold winter evening (I don't mind them in the peak of summer either. ;) )

To those who aren't aware of their existence (seriously you should die!!), momos are dumplings made of water and wheat flour dough coating with a meat or vegetable filling and then steamed. Momos were introduced from Han China into Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim, North Bengal, North-East India and Bhutan and is similar to the Jiaozi dim sum in China, the Mongolian buuz and the Japanese gyoza.

Classification on the basis of filling:
1) Meat momos: These are the best. Juicy and succulent, they may be of pork, chicken, mutton or buffalo meat. The Ladakhians make it with lamb or yak meat. The meat filling is mixed with shallots, coriander, ginger, garlic and spices. From personal experience, I have seen that the Nepalese make the momo filling spicy by addition of special momo masala which is available in markets whereas in Sikkim and North Bengal the filling is slightly bland. Both versions are delicious.

2) Vegetable momos: The veggies which comprise the filling are usually carrots, shallots and cabbage. Sometimes they use potatoes/ soya bean in Veg. Momo filling.

3) T-momo: This is basically utilization of leftover dough. The usual momo dough is mixed with butter, some more salt and baking soda, shaped and steamed. It is usually served with Alu Dum or Matar ko sabzi.

Some other fillings that I've come across are scrambled eggs, paneer, cheese, Chhurpi and khoya. Basically, you use any filling to fill your momos, it's your call!

Classification on the basis of cooking method:
1) Steamed momos, 2)Fried momos: These are steamed momos which are later deep-fried, 3)Kothey: These are pan-fried momos, thus only the base of the momo is fried after steaming.

Classification on the basis of shape: Usually meat momos are round and vegetable momos are half mooned.

Condiments:
Momo is usually served with one or two of the first 5 options along with the sixth:
1) Hot coriander and mint chutney
2) Tomato/tree tomato with chili and garlic chutney
3) Spicy dallae/red chili chutney
4) Sesame and mustard paste
5) Tomato ketchup
6) Clear soup made of  broth obtained from the steaming process.

With the Nepalese diaspora having reached various parts of India and some parts of the world, everybody is familiar with this delicacy. Coincidentally while I was writing this, my mom came home with a packet of pork and chicken dim sums. Though someone once said, 'Dim sums are poor substitutions for momos', I am greatly satisfied right now, for now. :-D

10 Malaysian dishes that make me cry

1) Asam Laksa:

It's a sour noodle soup cooked with flaky white fish, tamarind stock, pineapple and cucumber. The fishy smell and flavor, while beloved for the locals, isn't so palatable for us.

2) Fish head curry:
A whole fish head stewed with vegetables in coconut milk doesn't sound exciting and not surprisingly, doesn't taste exciting either.

3) Cendol:

Kidney beans in a dessert? Can you imagine? This is a dessert made of glutinous rice, jelly, palm sugar, shaved ice, kidney beans, creamed corn and coconut milk. Even TV food show hosts cannot fake it after having a taste of it.

4) Otak-otak:

 It is fish paste mixed with coconut milk and spices, wrapped in in banana leaf and steamed/grilled. Otak means brains and the dish is named so as its texture resembles that of a brain, soft and squishy.

5) Ais Kacang:

 It is a dessert consisting of red beans, peanuts, agar gar, grass jelly and evaporated milk served with ice cream. The combination is similar to that of Cendol.

6) Belacan and sambal:
 More than dishes, they are actually condiments added to a vast variety of Malaysian items. Belacan is fermented shrimp paste whereas as sambal is a chili based sauce consisting of shrimp paste and fish sauce along with other spices. Both, when added to any food item, give a nasty fishy taste to the dish, a taste which may or may not be acquired even after years of trying.

7) Durian-flavored ice cream:

This is ice cream with the flavor of Durian, the national fruit of Malaysia. It resembles a jack-fruit and is sickly sweet, but extremely stinky. Its odor can even be felt miles away from it.

8) Kuih:
It is of many varieties and flavors. Basically it is glutinous rice mixed with palm sugar mixed with peanut paste/ tapioca/ sweet potato/ kaya / coconut milk/ etc.

9) Fishcake:
If you have the fishcake that they serve in Western countries, you might enjoy them since the fish used is freshwater fish. And obviously, us Bengalis love our Machher Chops. But here the saltwater fish makes the cakes (called Pempek) smelly and often, inedible.

 10) Asam Pedas: This is sour and spicy fish curry cooked with belacan, local spices, tamarind sauce and okra. Not a great combination, I say.

10 Malaysian Dishes which you must try

1) Nasi Lemak with chicken curry:

Coined as the 'national dish' of Malaysia, this is basically rice cooked in coconut milk served along with dried anchovies, roasted peanuts, cucumber and hard-boiled egg. Chicken curry compliments it best. This is a delicate dish which can be had for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

2) Satay:

Satay is not Thai, as most people may think, since Thailand popularizes it more. But it is actually a Malaysian dish and best found in Malaysia. It is the barbecued outcome of meat marinated in spices served with peanut sauce. It has a sweet and piquant taste.

3) Popiah:

It is the Malaysian version of a spring roll with eggs and assorted veggies as filling in a thin, white crepe.

4) Rojak:

Rojak is a delicious fruit Chaat made of tropical fruits such as guava, water apple, raw mango, pineapple and cucumber and what we Indians call Papri with a dressing a water, sugar, salt, tamarind paste, black bean sauce and lime juice, garnished with chopped peanuts and white sesame seeds. 

5) Curry Puff: 

It can be called a Malaysian Samosa since only the shape and filling is different from the regular Samosas. It is a pie with a thick potato and/or chicken filling wrapped in a brown pastry and looks like a gujiya from the outside.

6) Char Kuey Teow:

It is flat rice noodles deep fried in egg batter served with prawns, tofu, Chinese sausages, leafy greens,etc. in a soy sauce gravy. Originally Cantonese, it is highly recommended. 

7) Hainanese Chicken Rice: 

Originated from Hainan Island, China, its Malaysian variation is best to be found in the city of Ipoh. Chicken is boiled and the stock obtained is used to both cook the rice and the chicken. It is served cucumber and chilli-garlic paste.  

8) Roti Canai: 

Derived from my motherland, India, it is a more complex version of a Naan served with Dal or Chana. It may also be cooked along with onions or egg and serves as a perfect breakfast.

9) Beef/Chicken Rendang: 

It's a slow-cooked beef/chicken curry created along with kaffir lime, turmeric, coconut milk, ginger and chilies garnished with lemon grass. It is quite scrumptious.

10) Pandan Chiffon Cake:

 It is a light sponge cake with the extract of Pandan leaves used for its distinct flavor and light green color. Pandan is a popular flavor used in a variety of Malaysian desserts. 

Caramel Custard- the simplest dessert ever

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
400 ml pasteurized milk
10 tsp sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
1. Caramelize three teaspoons of sugar with two teaspoons of water on a pan over the fire. Pour the caramelized syrup into the container which will be used to steam the custard. Now the syrup will solidify evenly at the base of the container.
2. Thoroughly beat the eggs and add into the milk along with essence and the remaining sugar. Mix the ingredients properly and pour the mixture over the caramelized base.
3. Cover the steel container. Heat some water in a big vessel. Place the container into the vessel and make sure the level of water in below the lid of the container.
4. Steam for 15 minutes.
5. Refrigerate the steamed mixture for at least 2 hours.
6. Open the lid and carefully invert the custard onto a plate.
7. Garnish with cardamom powder/chocolate powder/cherries.

Blue Poppy Review

Blue Poppy in Gorkha Bhawan is officially my favorite restaurant in Kolkata. Being an avid fan of Chinese food, particularly Indo-Chinese or Nepali-Chinese, this has to be number one in my list. I have been here on three occasions- two being my birthday treats to different friends and one being a friend's treat. It's the ideal place to treat a large group of friends, especially if the friends are massive foodies like you because:
1. The food is finger-licking good.
2. The rates are dirt cheap.
3. The quantity per serving is large.
If ambiance is an integral part of dining out for you, never go here. The diner looks like seedy college canteen, though cleanliness is maintained and the service is not really up to the mark. But if all you want is hygienic, delectable dishes to chew on, then this is the place to be.

Zomato gives it 4 stars, and so do I. It is easily accessible, situated just opposite City Center 1 and run by some Nepalis from North Bengal. Its main branch is on Park Street and is run by Sikkimese individuals.

Pork Shapta

From personal experience, I would highly recommend the Chicken Kothay (which is steamed chicken momo fried at the base), Mixed Cantonese Noodles and Pork Shapta. The soups, main chicken dishes and fried rice are scrumptious too, I've heard. Even if you would order something else other than the mentioned, I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed since the food in general is extremely palatable. But do stay away from the Bhutanese dishes since one has to have an acquired taste for them.

Chicken Kothay

10 food facts which will blow your mind

1. Yoghurt may contain pork or beef gelatin.

2.   An average person's yearly fast food intake contains 12 pubic hairs.

3.  The most expensive coffee comes from civet cat poop. The partly eaten berries come out as civet droppings and are sold for upto $600 per pound.

4.  Peanut butter may contain rodent hair and bugs.

5.  The roast camel is the largest item on any menu in the world.

6.  The Swiss Cheese actually originates from Normandy, France.

7.  Grilled chicken sandwiches and salads may actually contain beef.

8.  Truffles can cost up to $1200 per pound.

9.  You would have to walk straight for 7 hours to burn off a Super Size Diet Coke, a Big Mac and fries.

10. All cheese products contain less than 51% cheese.

The soup and pasta post

After weeks of pleading, I convinced my flatmates to let me cook chicken soup and pasta for dinner. I don't know what they feared. You see, they have never tasted my cooking before. And our last joint attempt at making simple fried noodles turned out to be a mishap, mishap being a mild word for it.

So yesterday, I boiled some chicken, carrot and an onion together, added salt, pepper, tomato sauce, butter and egg white to it, took out the chicken and shredded it, put back some of the shredded chicken and voila, our chicken clear soup with egg drop was ready.

The soup vanished within minutes of its preparation (since everybody went 'Slurp, slurp, slurp') and it was time to create the pasta. The pasta was boiled in salt water till Al Dente as my mom has taught me. The white sauce was concocted by thoroughly mixing milk, flour, salt, pepper, butter on a hot pan. Chopped tomatoes, carrot, broccoli and the shredded boiled chicken were fried in butter. Tomato sauce, salt, pepper, white sauce, pasta and some cheese slices were added and mixed well. After few minutes of cooking, Chicken Pasta with Broccoli and Carrot was ready to be served.

Hello fellow food enthusiasts

Paul Child: What do you like to do most?
Julia Child: Eat!!

I would have the same reply Paul. Don't fool yourself with my lean figure, I adore eating and CAN eat vast amounts. Therefore I love to cook. Whether challenging or not, I love to assemble things and make it into a meal. This blog is therefore dedicated to food- food, food and only food. Stay tuned on tips, recipes and information on various gastronomical delights. :-)