Indian Accent - A Review

OVERALL RATING -

I have known Manish Mehrotra since 1993, when we were young school passouts entering hospitality college to pursue our dreams and follow our dreams. 18 years have gone by since then and it's amazing to see the strides he has taken and the way he has impacted the culinary landscape of New Delhi, if not India. Not a week goes by when I dont come across some media publication writing about him or his quotes on the trends of the eating joints. Though, I have, atleast in India gone to the restaurants he has setup and worked in, I missed going to Tamarai in London. My visit to Indian Accent, the fine dining restaurant in The Manor, neatly tucked away near the Friends Club in Friends colony, New Delhi was long overdue.

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I must say, my expectations were set really high and I was afraid the place would not stand the test of my high standards, and nothing but the best.
The first thing that strikes you, as you enter The Manor, is the warmth, courtesy and ethnicity of the staff. It carries itself very well through the dining experience and stays with you till you leave. Warmth like that comes from within, no training can teach you that. The service is impeccable and extremely infectious.
The menu at first looks a little too limited for the choices it presents, especially for the vegetarians,but once you go through the menu, you understand the pain that has gone behind each and every dish listed, the various permutations and combinations at the planning stage to get this to you. Any longer and we might have been confused. Each and every item needs to be understood, not just read through, letting your imagination run wild and tastebuds crazy at the mere thought.
The array of Indian dishes fused with a touch of foreign ingredients and styles are truly a not-to-miss experience. The Foie Gras stuffed Galawat has already made waves in the culinary circuit,but the tandoori chicken chaat with thai pomelo segments, crispy garlic or the potato sphere chaat with white pea ragda and kakdi or the chicken tikka quesadillas, gruyere and pink peppercorn raita are each an understated masterpiece. Come the main courses and each of the pre-plated delicacies are an experience that I will come back to again and again. The main course too offers an interesting choice ranging from Peanut Butter Chicken, Kasuri Methi Crisp and Lachha Salad to eight hour cooked Canadian pork belly with Vindaloo masala, Goan red rice. Dont skimp on the sides either and personally we loved the roast pumpkin and Cheddar Kulcha and will highly recommend it. Again we felt that the vegetarian fare was left wanting for more. Not because there was not much choice, but because nothing leapt out and surprised us, as was the case with the non-vegetarian part. Or maybe because the bar had been raised so high in so short an experience.
The desserts were an interesting selection, and even though the old monk rum ball was a let down (with all the hype) and the anar, churan kulfi was predominantly anar and more a sorbet(than kulfi), the baked coconut cheesecake and banana toffee pudding was out the world.
A meal for 2 can easily get you down by 4000/- to 6000/- (without alcohol) and is worth every penny.
In the end, Indian Accent is certainly a place that I can take a guest too and be sure the experience will blow them away. It is now the ideal place that I can take my overseas clients/guests to announce the arrival of the new Indian cuisine that is not closed but assimilates all cuisines within itself just as out culture has throughout history.
Kudos to Old World Hospitality and Chef Manish for creating a great foodie destination.


FOOD -
SERVICE -
AMBIENCE -

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Curried Garlic Custard

There's nothing to beat the arrival of rains after some intense heat. It only becomes better if you don't need to go to office or run any errands. A nice lunch (not too elaborate) and a good glass of wine is all you need and you can enjoy the rain from the cozy confines by the windows. I just did that sometime back and loved the feeling. We had juicy pork chops, with mashed potatoes and garlic custard on the side.
Though I have tried it before, this time I tried to get a little adventurous by adding some curry powder. The result was excellent. The creaminess only interrupted by a hint of spice playing on your tongue. It is also very easy to make and believe me you need to seriously work hard to get this one wrong.

Curried Garlic Custard
Ingredients
Garlic, peeled - 12 cloves
Milk - 300 ml.
Bay Leaf - 1
Salt - 1 Tsp.
Thyme - 1 Sprig
Eggs, whisked - 4
Cream - 250 ml.
Ground Black Pepper - 1 Tsp
Chilli Flakes - 1 Tsp
Curry Powder - 1 Tsp

Method:
1. Roughly chop the garlic cloves.
2. Take milk in a saucepan. Add in the chopped garlic, bay leaf and sprig of thyme. Put the saucepan on the flame and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Take off flame and cool.
3. Take out the thyme sprig and bay leaf.
4. Puree the garlic with some milk. Push the mixture through the sieve.
5. Add in the whisked eggs and cream. Mix gently.
6. Add in the black pepper and chili flakes. Mix gently.
7. Divide the mixture into 6 ramekin or custard cups.
8. Sprinkle the curry powder on top of all ramekins.
9. Cover the ramekins with aluminum foil. Place the ramekins in a baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish so that it comes to halfway of the ramekins.
10. Bake at 160ºC for 35-40 minutes or till custard is set ( Will be a little wobbly).
11. Remove from baking dish and discard the foil. Serve warm.

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Indian Breakfast Classic - Chickpea flour pancakes

Childhood memories often revolve around mum's cooking and apart from delicious lunch and dinner fares, lazy sunday breakfasts had their own charm. Apart from butter soaked aloo paranthas, pancakes were a much sought after item. They are called by different names, like Chilla or Puda, and their base can be either semolina, bengal gram flour or moong dal, they have one thing in common - they are all tasty.

Thankfully, my better half makes chillas every now and then and it was but natural that this breakfast classic get a mention on this blog. If you haven't tried it out, please do.

Chilla - Chickpea flour pancakes
Ingredients:
Chickpea flour (Besan) - 250 gm
Semolina (Sooji) - 2 Tblsp (My better half adds this as this lends crispness to the finished product)
Green Chillies, finely chopped - 2
Carum Seeds (Ajwain) - 1 Tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) - A Pinch
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 Tsp.
Green Coriander, finely chopped - 1 Tblsp.
Water - 1 Cup
Oil - For frying

Method:
1. Place the chickpea flour in a bowl.
2. Add water to make a smooth batter (coating consistency). Whisk it to ensure there are no lumps.
3. Add in the carum seeds, asafoetida, red chili powder and green coriander to the batter. Whisk again to mix.
4. Take a flat bottomed skillet or flat pan/tawa and add some oil (a tsp.).
5. Once the pan is hot, pour a spoonful of the batter in the center and spread it in a circular form using the back of the ladle (start from the inside and continue working to the outside in circular motions of the hand, ensuring it does not remain thick in the center and is even).
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. Remove the cooked chilla in a plate. Clean the pan/tawa of any particles.
8. Add in another teaspoon of oil and proceed to make another chilla. Continue till done.
9. Serve hot with mint chutney, pickle or your favorite ketchup.

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