Not Just Paranthas

One can see many 'Dhaba-theme' restaurants coming up all over Delhi these days; NJP is another such place. 'Not Just Paranthas', is a cute little eatery tucked away in a bylane of West Delhi's Rajouri Garden. The food is good; the ambience, cute; the menu card, innovatively designed to take the form of a newspaper.

Food

We ordered Chur Chur paranthas which are their speciality, having an extra dose of butter and crushed with hands giving it a unique touch; aloo pyaz parantha; gobi paranatha; mooli parantha; Dal makhmali (balck lentils); kabul chana masala and Dal sukhi chatpati (Yellow lentils for dad). I just had a small bite from each of the paranthas, all were 'ok' barring mooli which was 'bad'. Personally, I prefer mom-made paranthas anyday, so I had ordered a plain Naan to go with Dal Makhmali. Dal Makhmali which is the dearest to my heart was excellent; Kabuli chanas were nice but the fact that they had bits of paneer in it did not go well down my mind and tastebuds. Dal Sukhi Chatpati was liked by the elders; I did not even touch it so can't say much. The chuski bar (serving Indian style flavoured ice-lollies) is an attraction for the kids.

Fun

Having seen too many 'Dhaba-theme' restaurants, the charm of visiting them is fading away. Still I liked this one. It was nice to see sweet li'l soemthings decorated all over the place. At NJP, all the seats are made of rassi (jute rope) and wood. There are knick knacks like small models of cycle-rickshaws, lanterns hung here and there, old vessels placed all over the restaurant. The loos have 'Shreemaan' and 'Shreemati' written over the doors to differentiate the one for men from that for women. What I liked best was a signboard saying -Kripya bhojan ke liye hathon ka prayong karein' i.e. please use hands to eat your food. And what was even better was the spoons that were laid neatly over all the tables :D...pooooohhh

There is difference between 'being merrily high' and 'being drunk'

And I insist, I am nt drunk... NO!! I am nt.. M just merrily merrily high! Anyway...went to Q'Ba, Connaught Place, E block with P... The ambience was ok, the service was very nice, the food was pathetic... Not worth one penny we spent there.The vegetable seekh kebabs were hopeless, the blue breeze tasted like a long lost cousin of Pina Colada...It was neither Pina Colada nor Blue curacao.. but sumthing else only... sumthing that I could nt figure out... Dal Makhani was good... The bread was cold and funny. I say that if u go there... U must try this... U must try visiting the loos. They r gr8... really!!! They r!!! Plants in each loo. Wow!!! Had they just thought about the food a bit more...Ufffffff!!!!!

Switch to evening... Had thoda sa neat whisky... got merrily high... insisted that Chicken Little takes me to a particualr shop frm where I had banta (Lemon) and desi patte wala Paan (betel leaf)... And CL thinks m drunk.. m nt!! m only merrily high!!!

Nawabi fare

Hyderabadi, Lucknawi, Kashmiri, Pakistani, Karachi-an, Bombay.... These are not the names of different places; these, are the names of special places. Places, from where the Nawabi fare, as I like to call it, has come into being. I am talking about the ever delightful, the delectable, the sumptuous - BIRYANI.

One visit to the India International Trade Fair (IITF 2006) made me buy sixteen, yes, sixteen packets of biryani masalas from the stall of my favourite brand Shan. They are available at IITF-2006, Pragati Maidan, Hall number 12, Pakistan pavillion area. Those who are in Delhi or would be visiting Delhi, anyday till 27th November, must try, Shan Biryani masalas. I bought enough supply to last a year. I am going back tomorrow to buy some more stuff from there...maybe the pickles this time... Coming back from the fair I heard two aunties calling me... beta... beta ... Shan ka stall kahan pe hai... they were desperate to know the exact location... I obliged to tell them the directions till they were happy and satisfied.

Back to the Biryani.... I prefer the one dat is cooked in the traditional cauldron with the atta (wheat-dough) sealed onto its ends... And yes I love onions... loads and loads and loads of them in my Biryani... The Hyderabadi Biryani is the best I have tasted so far and if voted, I think, it will be the national Biryani of India.. Wotsay??
Ah yes, I love only Veg Biryanis!!!

Skeeter's shopping!! Whoa!

Potato feast continues...

Day before yesterday was in no mood to cook anything...but as I went to the kitchen to pick up a glass of water I saw these mashed potatoes...couldn't resist.... thought... y nt indulge and feast... yet again!!!!!

These were followed by a tall glass of Tang.... YUMMY!!!

Potato feast: The Punjabi way!

Punjabis love their potatoes. Potatoes or aloos as they are called, form an important part of any punjabi household's kitchen. Be it the Aloo Paranthas for breakfast or the vegetable served in the main course (dry/curried) or the fried aloo chaat served as a snack, aloos are an indispensable part of the daily menu.
The other day Skeeter discovered that the humble potato is the most used vegetable in Skeeter's kitchen as well! Here are some pics....

Chefish blunders

Chef went up the market, to fetch a few ounces of batter
Chef went mad and lost the hat
And the Utthapam came floating after!

P.S. : The tragedy mentioned in the post happened because Skeeter was not in a mood to cook... :P

The Chaiwali loves her Cardamom Spice

Recently mom fulfilled the deepest desire of Skeeter's heart...Ever since Skeeter has started making tea, she wanted to use the pestel to crush cardamoms by placing them on the black granite shelf of the kitchen. But mom insisted Skeeter uses the mortar and the pestel to crush them.
Skeeter has seen people just tearing away the upper covering (green bit) of the cardamom spice and throwing it into the boiling tea. That, Skeeter thinks, is JUST NOT DONE!!! It is just so unfair to the cardamom - the most aromatic spice. Skeeter humbly requests all tea lovers to crush the cardamom spice and release the aroma trapped in the seeds to unleash the mystic flavour that lies within. Not only will it make your tea taste much more flavourful, it would also do justice to the spice.
The mortar and the pestel have a different story altogether. They are Skeeter's most loved tools in the kitchen. No modern day pepper-crushers beat the traditional mortar and pestel. Even chefs like Kylie Kwong swear by them. Skeeter just loves the way in which Kylie seasons the dishes with basic ingredients such as Sichuan pepper and salt (of course ground using the traditional chinese mortar and pestel). Skeeter's personal favourites are those made of wood and marble. If you happen to visit Forest Essentials@ Khan market or Greater Kailash M-block market, you are likely to chance upon the most beautiful mortar and pestel set, Skeeter has ever come across. Ofcourse, it is not for sale. Else, Skeeter would've definitely picked it.
And now a confession: Skeeter want to become a chaiwali. Pouring endless number of frothy cuppas to those who pass by my shack under a tree @ a road in Manali, Leh, Dharamsala and many more places up there in the Himalayas. Ofcourse Skeeter would serve Cardamom tea and only that!!! And yes...This is one business that even the rains or the chilly weather cannot dare to dampen. :P