Pesto Genovese

Its been a very long time since I posted on this blog and finally today I found the time to do so. I can tell you for one thing that it wasn't laziness and gastronomically speaking the time gone by has been my most active period when it comes to food and beverages. Even apart from food & beverages this has to be the most active time, period. After 16 long years in the corporate rat race, I decided to take a break and follow my dreams, mind you dreams, not just one dream and even though I thought I will take a nice month off and then get into the grind, it was not to be. Since then I have been working on various projects, two of which are starting a concept restaurant and consulting on a adventure resort for a close friend. There were several meetings with people, both for business and pleasure, and many meals in restaurants.

Infact it was on one such meeting at a friends residence that he showed me the basil that had grown on his farm and how he intended to make Pesto that day. Post making some pesto with him, I carried a pack of Basil leaves home with me to make some of my own. My better half loves Pesto and since she is extremely busy with her business, this being the peak season, this would have been a nice surprise. Though, various versions of Pesto exist, some that involve walnuts, sun dried tomatoes and believe me eggplants, the classic basil pesto has always had a special place in my heart (and stomach). A short detour to the grocery store fr some ingredients, and I was all set to make my own Pesto. 

Now there are few things that I always follow while making Pesto, and that because I'm a purist and like to do things the hard way. Believe me the result shows in the taste. For starters, I always blanch the basil leaves. Blanching the basil leaves gives the pesto a nice bright color and not too forget it reduces the natural bitterness that basil imparts to the pesto (And this is because I do not find young small basil leaves in India).Secondly, everyone that I have seen uses the food processor these days. I prefer using the good old mortar and pestle. It takes long that way, but somehow I love the pesto more. If you want more information on Pesto, its origins and variations wikipedia has a nice post on it.

Pesto Genovese

Ingredients:

Basil leaves, blanched in boiling water for 20 seconds and shocked in ice cold water - 3 Cups

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/2 Cup

Parmesan, finely grated - 1/3 Cup

Pecorino, finely grated - 2 Tblsp

Pine Nuts - 1/4 Cup

Garlic, finely chopped - 2 Cloves

Sea Salt - To Taste

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients, except the seal salt and half the olive oil in the mortar and pound them to a smooth paste. Continue adding the olive oil during the pounding.

2. Season with sea salt. 

Serving suggestions - You can add it to Pasta, Minestrone, and potatoes while cooking. I love taking a nicely toasted bread slice and spreading pesto on it and adding some shredded chicken or assorted vegetables. 

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Peach Gazpacho

The summers have been here for a while in Delhi, and what a summer it has been this time. Personally, I hate summers, I'm talking about Delhi Summers (yes the Indian summer that everyone overseas talks about). It's hot, as in burning hot and when it rains occasionally, it also gets humid. You get irritable, sick and hate everything outdoors. Eating suffers the most as all the good old dishes , especially the fried ones go out of bounds. You need something which is fresh, refreshing and cold. This is where cold soups come in really handy. Nothing like a nice bowl of cold soup on a really hot day. Gazpacho seems to be a favorite and popular cold soup and coupled with some of the great summer fruits, it just goes to another level. Last week, after days of battling the summer heat, I did just that. 

Gazpacho is a clever combination of the vibrant salad that provides all the nutrients and the much needed energy boost and a cold drink that quenches your thirst ...no wonder some also call it a "liquid salad". Now the very mention of Gazpacho brings tomatoes to one's mind but, unknown to many, this Andalusian dish did not consist of tomatoes originally. It's origins are steeped in mystery and throughout Spain there are numerous variations of the Gazpacho, some which are not even liquid. Some say the Gazpacho is derived from the Arabic word meaning "soaked bread", while some argue that it is derived from the pre-roman word "caspa" meaning "residue" or the Hebrew word "gazaz" meaning "break into pieces". No matter what the origins, one thing is clear -they all reference to bread being an essential ingredient to the gazpacho and that too a soaked bread (soaked in oil and/or vinegar). This dish originally a poor man's food has over the centuries gained much more prominence in the repertoire of master chefs, who have transformed this into an irresistible dish and I added my own touch last week.

Peach Gazpacho
(Serves 6)
 
Peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks-6
Cucumber, washed, peeled and seeded - 1
Yellow Bell Pepper, cored and chopped - 1
Garlic, minced - 1 Clove
Bread slices, cut into strips - 2
Vinegar - 3 Tblsp ( Use champagne or sherry vinegar or a fruity ones..I used Cider vinegar)
Olive Oil - 4 Tblsp
Water - 1/2 Cup
Sea Salt - To Taste
Black Pepper - 2 Tsp

For the Garnish:
Red Bell Pepper, cut into small cubes - 1
Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into small cubes - 1
Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes -1/2
Cilantro, finely chopped - 2 Tblsp

Method:
1. Soak the bread pieces in 2 Tblsp of vinegar and 2 Tblsp of Olive oil. Keep for atleast an hour.
2. Pulse together the soaked bread slices with all the other ingredients except the garnish vegetables until a pureed consistency is achieved. Add more water if necessary (Note: the consistency of the soup should not be liquidy but little coarser)
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill for an hour.
5. Serve cold garnished with a teaspoon of the diced garnish vegetables added in the center and a drizzle of olive oil.

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Apricot Chutney

Every year I wait for the short window of time when fresh juicy apricots start appearing on fruit stalls, and when they arrive I pick up as many as I can like a greedy kid wanting them all to himself. The season for fresh apricots is so short that you blink and you've missed it and then you wait for another year. Some may argue on why worry when the dried varieties are there in stores all year around, but my friend, a fresh juicy apricot is a thing of joy and the dried variety will always remain a distant cousin. The variety of dishes both sweet and savory that you can do with Apricots are endless and no matter what you try, I can vouch that you will not be disappointed.

The summers are here and so are the Apricots. I have already made a few trips to my fruit and vegetable vendor to pick up this juicy fruit and turn it mouth watering delicacies. This time, I bring you a simple recipe for an Indian Chutney (Relish) made with Apricots. I must warn you though, that this is only the beginning, very soon you will see more posts, but till then try this chutney out and till my next post enjoy the fruit as is. 

Apricot Chutney

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

Fresh Apricots, skinned, pitted and quartered - 200 gms

(To skin apricots, heat water in a large bottomed pan and drop in the apricots, as the water start to boil. Count till 7 and remove and put in an ice bath. The skin will peel easily now.) 

Onion, finely chopped - 1

Olive Oil - 2 Tblsp

Sugar, granulated - 57 gm

Honey - 58 gm

Raisins - 1/4 Cup

Cider Vinegar - 1/4 Cup

Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp.

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.

2. Add onions and saute till they turn translucent (4-5 minutes on low flame).

3. Add in the apricots and mix well. Cook for a minute.

4. Add in the granulated sugar and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes.

5. Add in the honey and cider vinegar. Mix well.

6. Add in the raisins and red chili powder. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes stirring, until the relish has thickened.

7. Take off flame and allow to cool.

8. Serve at room temperature or store in an air tight container ( in the refrigerator). It will stay for almost a week.

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Yeti - Restaurant Review

OVERALL RATING - 

Address- 50A, 2nd Floor, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi-110016
Tel - 011-406 786 49
Credit Cards-Yes
Average Price - 900/- (Without Alcohol) plus taxes (VAT, Service Tax) and 10% Service charge
Alcohol - Yes (Beverage Menu attached below)

Try asking many a seasoned foodie about Nepalese, Bhutanese or Tibetan food in Delhi and chances are you will only hear them say Momos or maybe Thukpa, thanks to an overflow of eateries and roadside stalls selling these. But the cuisine from the Himalayan states is much more than Momos and much, much tastier. And it took me a visit to Yeti, the Himalayan restaurant in Hauz Khas village complex to discover it.

Now this visit to Yeti almost didn't happen. Personally, my experience with the Hauz Khas complex hadn't been to great before Yeti. Till last year, I had never been to the Hauz Khas Village side and my friend and ex-colleague Mojo (yup that's what we call him) got me to visit the Complex for the first time. Mojo is a foodie when it comes to eating out and knowing the best places to grab a bite in Delhi or having a nice drink. So, when Mojo volunteered to take me to this great restaurant that he knew, I jumped and grabbed on this opportunity. We went to this shack of a place on the rooftop and I ended up having the spiciest of food at prices I wouldn't call Value for Money. Apparently the place was a big hit with the expat population and as I roamed around Hauz Khas Village, I found that the entire place was full of the snooty so called chic crowd looking for ethnic pieces which had driven almost everything sky high on price. Burnt Tongues and a bad stomach made me vow never to step inside the complex again. A few months and one Old Delhi Nihari visit later, Mojo and I decided to go to Hauz Khas Village complex again. This time we decided on Yeti. I expected the worst and how wrong I was. This 50 cover restaurant is an experience waiting to unfold and take you on a journey to the Himalayan Kingdoms via the culinary route. Last Sunday, I took my better half, kids and my old college buddy Abhineet and his family. We had a blast stuffing ourselves with food and each dish elicited more oohs! and aahs! than the previous one.

Yes, they do have momos on the menu (Thukpa too) and much more. As you are seated, your steward serves you with a complimentary starter of fried chickpeas tossed in spices and also places two bowls of chutney, one absolutely fiery red one full of chillies and an orange one which is less spicy but spicy for sure.

We ordered the veg snacks platter (300/-) which consists of Wai Wai Sadeko  (dry wai wai noodles- a brand of noodles, tossed with onion, tomato, green chillies and lemon) , Aloo Sadeko (sauteed potatoes marinated in tangy Nepali spices) and Bhuteko Chana (Stir fried chickpeas in Nepalese spices). This is served with Tingmo (steamed Tibetan Bread) and chutney. If you want you can order these starters separately, but I just order the platter as I loved each one of them and the Tingmo has been a revelation. Apparently, they serve Tingmo with everything, and it goes just great with the spicy food.

For us meat lovers, we ordered the Shapta (300/-) which is thinly sliced buff (buffalo for the uninitiated) sauteed with onion, garlic and spices served with tomato and greens and a plate of Gyuma - Tibetan Sausages (350/-). Gyuma are the finest things I have tasted in a while now. Buff sausages wrapped in membrane and fried till they are crispy and yet retain their solid bite, they are the perfect accompaniment to cold beer. They were perhaps the reason Abhi and I had a few pints extra. And oh yes! we did order chicken momos (250/-) too, which I found a little tough and below standard. All these starters except the momos come with tingmo, so you can stuff yourself with more bread.

Our main course consisted of Kokra Ko Ledo - Chicken curry (350/-). We ordered plain rice (100/-) with it and this aromatic and delicate curry goes so well with plain rice. We also ordered crispy fried spinach (250/-) and it was heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth, like no one has ever done before preparation. Now please be sure to order "crispy" fried spinach and not fried spinach. We ordered fried spinach (thinking it to be crispy) and all we got  was a blanched tossed spinach preparation that tasted bitter. We pointed this out to our server and he promptly replaced it with the heavenly dish I wrote about a few lines earlier.

The service was good and the setting neat. The portion sizes are huge and considering the cost per dish it is not only a value for money but a steal. Be sure to book in advance, if you plan to visit during the weekend as this place has a huge waiting, especially during Lunch hours on weekends. We booked an hour in advance and we still had to wait for 15 odd minutes. Luckily the place is open throughout the day, so you can always land up for brunch or late lunch. Believe me you will not be disappointed ... I haven't been on three occasions...and going by Abhineet and Suparva's look, they weren't either :)

FOOD - 

SERVICE - 

AMBIENCE - 

Note: They have apparently also opened an outlet in Malviya Nagar, I haven't gone there so I cannot comment on how much their standards are compared to the Hauz Khas outlet and this review shouldn't be taken as a blanket review for all Yeti outlets.

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United Coffee House

Address:
E-15, Inner Circle,
Connaught Place, New Delhi
Tel - 011-2341 6075 /2341 1697 / 98106 66044

Credit Cards - Yes
Average Price - 2500/- for 2 people
Alcohol - Yes


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Connaught Place used to be the ultimate shopping mecca, before the mall craze took over New Delhi and most of India. A weekend well spent meant going to Connaught  Place and roaming around from one block to another, eating some good food and then making your way towards India Gate for a lazy late evening by the garden enjoying Limchoo (Lime Ice Lolly). Every visit to Connaught Place made me pass the United Coffee House, but I never made it pass its entry doors (I never even gave it a second glance). I was always looking for one fast food joint or another when I was a kid, and then in my college days and younger days at work, I always made it to the most happening watering hole or sports bar. 

It was the same idea a couple of months back, as my good ol' college friend and I met up at Connaught Place. It was the mid-point for both of us, as he was coming from Dwarka and I from Noida. Post our customary Hi-Hellos, we set about to walk down to the nearest urban watering hole, it was then that we crossed the United Coffee House and decided to walk in. This Sunday, I did the same thing by taking my better half and kids to this Culinary Landmark in New Delhi. 

As you make it through the doors, it feels as if you have just gone through a time warp and been transported many decades back. This 2 storeyed, 138 cover restaurant, high Ceilings with gilded work and Viennese Chandeliers preserve the old world charm and the Staff, in colonial club steward uniform complete the experience. 

The Menu is a story in itself - a story of how this establishment, opened in 1942, as an outlet, selling tea and coffee in the evenings with some snacks has changed over the years (just as Delhi has). They offer an Indian section, an Oriental Section (with Chinese, some Thai and Japanese delicacies thrown in) and a European, Continental and Mediterranean section. They also have a section for Tea and Coffee snacks complete with a pakoda platter, chicken cutlets, Keema/Regular  Samosa and South Indian tifiin items (Idli/Vada/Dosa) and a section devoted to Omelettes and one for sandwiches. All the sections have traditional favorites and it made me extremely happy to go through the continental section and find old 1950's & 1960's classics such as Mushroom Stroganoff(445/-), Chicken A'La Kiev(545/-), Poulet Alexander(545/-) and hold your breath Lobster Thermidor (1595/-). 

Today we ordered the Cheese Balls (175/-)which is listed as their signature favorite and their claim to have sold over a million and counting and Baluchi Aloo (295/-) for starters. The Baluchi Aloo were one of the best stuffed tandoori aloo in the Capital stuffed with a host of different nuts, raisins and the occasional pomegranate seeds, which my son excitedly pointed out. The Cheese balls elicited exclamations of surprise from all of us, given the huge size of the balls, but they left us a little disappointed. We were all expecting them to be gooey and stringy from inside but these were dry doughy balls and strangely had an after taste of egg. 

Next for the main course was Chicken A'La Kiev (545/-) and Hampstead Fish n' Chips (545/-). The chicken looked great when it arrived, on a bed of mashed potatoes with an assortment blanched fresh vegetables and french fries neatly arranged around it. We loved the cheesy buttery taste of the chicken and the vegetables tasted wonderful. But the real winner of the day was the fish n' chips. Served with Tartar Sauce,  a bread basket and herb butter, the fish was firm and flavorful. It tasted so fresh that one would think that this restaurant was on the banks of a water body. 

The portion sizes are huge and by the time we finished the fish n'chips, we had no place for a dessert, even though the apple pie with cinnamon ice cream on the next table looked extremely inviting. Our bill with taxes came to a little over 2400/- (colas and mineral water thrown in ...no alcohol ) of which 400/- were only taxes and we felt that it was worth the experience. 

During my last visit, we enjoyed the chicken cutlets (which were more of an escalope) and Chicken Salt n'pepper (425/-). We could have done without the bbq chicken wings (345/-) which had a funny sauce coating and a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. Interestingly during both my visits the place was crowded, and things moved in slow motion (service is a little slow)- just so you can savor each and every moment. Even the lighting, especially on the 1st floor, makes you feel as you if you are seeing things in Eastman Color. I will personally recommend sitting on the ground level - more spacious and good natural sunlight.

This was my second visit in as many months and I look forward to many more visits, just to go back in time and enjoy the classic culinary gems and an era gone by.

Note: This restaurant is a culinary landmark and I have restrained myself from rating the place.

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