Chor Bizzare celebrated their silver jublie with a pop up event at Drift , Gurgaon .

A simple mat of Chor Bizzare . 

The chor bizzare literally means the thief market . Situated at hotel broadway , Aruna Asaf ali marg, Daryaganj , Delhi since 1990. Standing tall since then , opened its doors to London in 2010.  As the name Chor Bizzare , décor is quirky with all kind of artefacts. With there décor with miss matched chairs , antique tables , artistic cutleries . they are often called as Museum . It is also the first restaurant Introducing kashmiri cuisine with authentic wazwaan to Delhites . 

    Wazwaan is the 36 course meal served in legendary Kashmiri community feast. Wazwaan contains both nonveg and veg dishes. It is considered as an art and traditionally done by Vasta or Vasta Waza or head chefs with the assistance of a court of Wazas or chefs .  
Traditionally people eat in community on one big platter “Tarami” , which comes in with a deep copper plate and cover on top .  Although Kashmiri Pundits consume meat or other dishes  without using  onion and garlic  ,   Muslims cook their food with onion and garlic .  Ginger, Cardamom  and Aniseeds or Saunf are  the dominant ingredients in Kashmiri cuisine .  Beef is nonexistant in Kashmiri Wazwaan.

As Chor Bizzare celebrated their 25^th year , Mr Rajiv Kumar Malhotra , corporate Chef-qsr and casual dinning  at Chor Bizzare and Drift , Habitat World IHC and Old World Hospitality curated a pop up event of authentic Kashmiri Cuisine  at Drift , Epicentre , Gurgaon.


  Chef has enough knowledge of this cuisine of both Pundit and Muslim Cuisines.  Food was mild in spices with a very subtle taste . Each dish had distinct flavour . 
Chef  served us with a starter of Crispy fried Lotus Stem (Nadru Churma) with Munj Chatin ( which was basically raddish and curd mix with almonds) . Loved this chutney . Kashmiri Seekh Kabab, which was melting in mouth.

Nadru . ( Crispy fried lotus stems) 

Munj Chatin ( Raddish chutney with Walnuts ) 

Kashmiri Mutton Seekh Kabab

Veg Shaami Kabab 

After few more Non Kashmiri starters , we were served Tarami with Rice ,  Haak ( a type of leaves which was boiled with a dash of mustard oil) , Rajma curry, Nadru Yakhni ( it was  lotus stems  and cooked with  only aniseeds and dry ginger) , Tabak Maas ( This was star dish of the event . Cooked and fried thrice , this piece of lamb ribs was liked by everyone present at the event ) .  Khatte Baingan ( Tangy brinjal curry) , Dum Aloo ( this dish was very different from  other regional cuisines , with a  very mild and suttle curry  ) .   Aloo Bukhara Korma ( Do not get confused with a veg dish , this was a mild mutton curry cooked with apricots ) . Mutton Yakhni , Palak Rista , Mutton Roganjosh ( Roganjosh was slightly spicy comparatively other dishes ) . The most popular and talk of the event was Goshtaba with was meat ball which was soft spongy ball cooked in its own fat and mild spices .  Last dish was Murg dhaniwal , which was a blend of green chillies and coriander leaves . mild and again very distinct flavour .

Non Veg Tarami ( Rajma, Gushtaba, Nadru Yakhni , Tabak Maas, Haak, Khatte Baingan , Munj chatin and Dahi) 

Veg Tarami ( Nadru, Haak, Khatte Baingan. Rajma, Dum Aloo, Tamatar Chaman , Munj Chatin and Dahi 

After enjoying all the above dishes , we covered back the Tarami with the cover . stomach was full but greed was asking for more .  I was delighted to see the desserts , which were again delicious  and never tasted before .  They served us  Shoofta ( mix dry fruits cooked and softened in sugar syrup and saffron) , Kulfi /Falooda and Phirni , which was unlike commonly found phirni , was cooked with suji , saffron and less sugar  .  Kashmiri meal is never complete without a cup of Kahwa .( a mild tea with saffron and chunks of nuts ) .  

Kahwa 

Samovar 

So the millennium city people can enjoy this authentic Kashmiri Meal till 30^th of September at Drift , Epicentre, Gurgaon.

 I want to thank Pooja Gulati  , Chef Rajiv Malhotra and the entire staff of Drift who served us this scrumptious Kashmiri meal in a traditional way.  And ofcourse my friend Shalini Pareira to taking me to this beautiful journey of Wazwaan.


To contact
Drift Epicentre at Apparel House
Sector 44, Near Huda City Centre Metro Station
Gurgaon Haryana
For Reservations : 0124 2715100 / 2715227 Mob : 9999326400

Garam Dharam "Dharmender" inaugrates eatery on his name "Garam Dharam- Dhaba te Theka"

These coasters attracted me 

Garam Dharam - Dhaba te Theka " , brain child of Umang Tiwari and Mickey Mehta ,

is entirely inspired by the Action Man - Dharmender . 

The 79 year old legend who looked suave in his waist coat and hat 

The ambiance along with the cutleries and each art piece are inspired by the legendary actor . Entire atmosphere has been given a look of road side Dhaba , even the washrooms and floors were illusioned like a temporarily made loo on road side . Since it was a 2 hour curtain raiser with a press conference , we were served starters and few drinks with desi names like Gulabo, Veeru Ki ghuttee, Kala khatta etc., followed by Chicken tikka, Fish tikka , Seek kababs and some veg kababs and gilauti . I am a hard core nonvegetarian but I found veg starters better than the nonveg one . Except Veeru ki ghutee , my taste buds were not happy with other drinks . Loved the lassi garnished with whole cumin seeds . Apart from food and drinks , my happiest moment was to meet the romantic hero Dharmender .grin emoticon

Dharmender in his press conference told the reporters " Over the years I had been given the tag of Action Man , He Man  and even Garam Dharam  but he never imagined that he will one day own a restaurant in CP with his name tag Garam Dharam"


Have a look the ambiance through my lens 

Rustic Kettles has been transformed into Lamps . 

The is the wash room side . Entire area has bee created like a road side temporary washrooms. 

He has never let his Dream Girl go . 

Kaala Khatta 

Veeru di Ghuttee. 

Chaach 

*To locate
*Address - M 16 , Outer circle , CP, New Delhi.
I want to thank my friend Veta Ratra for inviting me for the curtain raiser of Garam Dharam. Espion will visit soon to review their food . 

The Fatty Bao- A trendy , Chic, Asian Gastro Bar .

After a sucessful performances in Mumbai and Bangalore , A.D.Singh's much popular Asian restaurant " The Fatty Bao" finally comes to Delhi. Me and my friend +Shalini Pereira were eagerly waiting for its opening , so last week we along with our very good friend +Maneesh Srivastva planned for a lunch meet . 














Ambiance is brightened with Primary colours with Big Panda murals , Geishas on the wall and Doll shaped Salt and Pepper Shakers. Menu is much elaborated one , so we settled down by ordering a bottle of Bira( Beer) with a portion of Californian Sushi . Sushi was good in taste but I feel rice should have been more sticky .

Doll shaped Salt and Pepper Shakers 

 Meal would not have been complete without eating their signature Baos. So ordered Char Siu and The Patty Bao followed by The Fatty Bao PB&J, Pan seared scallops with Fujito butter. 

Tenderloin Bulgogi Bao - Loved the Baos with goodies and juicy tenderloin

Char Siu - Baos filled with Srilankan Pork and sweet sauce

PB&J - Pork Belly & Miso Jelly 

Pan seared Scallops on a bed of Edamame and Corns 

Baos- Loved the steamed buns filled with goodies and inhouse sauces . Both tenderloin and Srilankan pork were fresh and juicy . As an Assamese I never liked Pork cooked other than my region's preparation but I must say l loved the sauces and meat was very juicy and tender .
PB&J - ( Pork Belly &Miso Jelly )- Slices of Pork Belly rendered down the perfect ratio of meat and fat with a glaze of sweet hoison and honey sauce .
Pan seared Scallops - Soft and delicate Scallops were served on a bed of Edamame and corns .

Zen Forest

After knuckling down the Baos ,we end our meal with a concoction called "Zen Forest" . It was beetroot tart sorbet with Lemongrass icecream with black sesame or green tea sponge ( according to my taste buds) . Paid the bill of 4127/- on a final verdict "WOW" . 



Some photos which I found attractive . 

Gieshas on the wall

Loved their cutleries 

To reach
The Fatty Bao
Sangam Courtyard
2nd Floor
R K Puram
New Delhi.
* The Kitchen Espion pays its own bill to review a restaurant 

Pistachios aren't really "Nuts" ...

Life is easy in Delhi with food stores , specially in Malls where you can shop your needs and buy groceries for your home . Living next to Select City Mall , Foodhall is my destination for all kinds of Kitchen necessities ( Right from Groceries , to imported fruits and Gadgets) . I often used to see their live demonstrations while shopping my grocery , then last week i got a call from Anushua Ghosh to attend one such live demonstration , which Foodhall had organised in association with American Pistachio Growers (APG). As I love to attend live demonstration of chefs , I couldnt refuse for the same . Foodhall's corporate Chef from France - Olivier Vincenot on last saturday ( 8th of August) demonstrated three of his best recipes using California grown Pistachios . You will find these American Pistachios in their rack now .
Talking about Pistachios , do you know it has some interesting names across the world . Pistachios in China is famous as " The Happy Nut" , while in Iran it is called as "The Smiling Nut " . "Smiling Pistachios" for Middle Easterns . These Happy Nut has some nutritional punch with protein , Magnesium , Thaimin , fiber and Phosporous . I like to have Salty and Crispy roasted Pistachios. Got some amazing recipes from Chef Oliver and I am going to try them in my Kitchen for sure . Let me share three of his easy-peasy  recipes here for my readers . 



Recipes .. 

Pistachio Cannoli 

Ingredients
serves - 35 ppl
Cooking time - 10 minutes
Preparation time- 20 minutes

For the Cannoli ( Waffle cone mix)
Diary Cream ( Amul) - 1/4 ltr
Vanilla Essence - few drops
Icing Sugar- 1/2 cup
Refined flour- 1/2 cup
Cinnamon powder- 1 pinch
Nutmet pd- 1/2 pinch
Corn flour - 1/2 tbsp
Refined oil- 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1tbsp

Method
In a bowl with a whisk, whip the cream with the vanilla until mousse like until slightly thicken ( it shouldnt form peaks)
Sift the remaining ingredients together and stir them into the cream to make a batter.
Let the batter sit or rest for 30 minutes
Heat the waffle cone maker and pour 1 tbsp of batter into it , close and cook till golden brown.
Fold immediately to form a hollow cylinder open from both ends. The Cannoli is ready for filling . ( Use a round handle about the thickness of the tom finger)
For the filling
Ingredients
Ricotta Cheese -1cup
Pistachio nuts - 1/4 cup
Pistachio Powder- 2 tbsp
Method
Place the ricotta cheese in a hand bowl and gently stir with a spatula to make in smooth.
Chop the pistachio nuts roughly and fold into the ricotta
With a piping bag, fill the waffle cannoli from both side and deep each end into pistachio powder .

Pistachio Blanc Mange 

Pistachio Blanc Mange
Serve - 6
Prep time- 40 mts
Ingredients
Whole Milk - 2cup
Pistachio Powder- 1/2 cup
Caster Sugar - 1/4 cup
Gelatin leaf- 1tbsp of powder gelatin
Whipped cream- 3/4 cup
Method
To make pistachio powder: if only pistachio with skin are avilable , boil some water in a sauce pan and place in the whole pistachio, simmer for a few mts and then put them in a cold water bath to cool down quickly., remove the skin and let the pistachios dry on a kitchen paper. Best if this is done the day before.
To make the pistachio powder, put them into a blender or a food processor , a handfull at a time, and blend until a powder is formed.
Heat together the milk and pistachio powder and let infuse for a few mts at low heat. Do not boil. Remove from heat and cover with a cling flim for 20 mts so that the flavour doesnt evaporate.
Pass the milk and pistachio through a thin sieve back into a sauce pan and add the sugar , heat up on medium heat until the temperature reaches 82C. Remove from the heat.
Soften the gelatin leaf in cold water. ( If no gelatin leaf, use the gelatin powder) by mixing it with 100ml of the milk until dissolved and further melting it using a microwave
Add the gelatin to the milk, stil until fully dissolved and cool down to room temperature while stirring .
Whip the cream and fold together. The mix texture should be slightly thick, not quite liquid like water.
Pour to the glasses to set
Decorate the top with chopped pistachios




HUMMUS ..

Hummus 

Hummus was served with Pita Bread sticks 

Pistachio Hummus
Serves- 2
Preparation time- 15 mts
Cooking time- 10 mts
Ingredients
Pistachio shelled - 1cup
Boiled chick peas - 1/2 cup -optional
Water- 1/2 cup
Olive oil- 2 tbsp
Cloves garlic - 2
Whole lemon juice - 1
Salt as required
Tahini paste -2 tbsp
Method
Boil the pistachios in water , drain and rub to take out the skin
In a food processor place pistachio , olive oil and half water and blend to a paste

Add the boiled chick peas made into a paste , garlic, lemon juice , tahini paste, and remaining water slowly and process till the desired hummus consistency is acquired . Add more water if required .
Adjust the seasoning and serve with chips or veggies .


Some more photos of the event ..

Chef Olivier preparing for Hummus 

Californian Pistachios 

Making of Cannolis 

Cannolis 

Filling up of Cannolis with Ricotta cheese 

Chef made all these Cannolis for us . :) 

Corporate Chef of Foodhall Chef Olivier Vincenot with Foodhall and team-American Pistachio Growers (APG)  

*The Kitchen Espion team wishes Food Hall all success into their venture and also want to thank Anushua Ghosh  for inviting me for such exciting cooking event . 

Carl's Jr .... The Chargrilled Burgers of California

I was expecting little more messy  

The much awaited Californian chain of Burger has been finally launched in New Delhi . Discovery of Margaret and Carl Karcher , this 70 year old  brand made its grand entry into QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) food market in Delhi over the weekend with its huge range of Burgers (both Nonveg and veg) .  Located in popular hang out spot in South Delhi, The Select City Walk, and like other American food chains ,Carl's Jr too has customised its menu to suit Indian Palate .

Carl's Jr specialises in Chargrilled Burgers which is being grilled in their special griller with high temperature . Their menu features 15 various Vegetarian and Non vegetarian Burgers with hand breaded chicken offerings . They also have a wide variety of hand scooped ice-creams shakes and Beer on tap .

Sana Chopra, the executive Director for the brand said " Carl's Jr. will satisfy Indian palate with their  rich and intense flavours of chargrilled burgers and Beer on tap and soft beverages bar". As a meat lover , I am little dissappointed to see only chicken as a meat on their menu but talking to their Marketing Executive Mr. Sameer Chopra got to know that very soon they are going to add seafood and Lamb meat in their menu.
Their chargrilled burger section  has a variety of options like "Star Burger with Moroccan spiced chicken with cheese , Mile High Burger with hand breaded onion rings topped with Santa Fe Sauce , Chargrilled Chicken fillet with Mango Jalapeno Pepper and many more . In vegerarian section , I saw the menu with Chargrilled Tandoori Paneer Burger , Paneer Tikka Masala with Mint mayo , 9 Jewel Burger , Fenugreek Burger and more . I must not forget to mention their "Wasabi-Fries" , this is one dish which i really liked . As wasabi is my favourite , i loved their idea to sprinkle Wasabi powder over fries instead of Indian Chaat Masala . Their onion rings are different from what we normally get in restaurant serving World's Cuisine .

According to Sameer Chopra , their target is to attract Young crowd with their unique marketing skills but I am wondering will their Beer-Burger combination stop "Adult Young Generation" ?

To reach
Carl's Jr Chargrill Burger
Select City walk, Souther part
(Back side of the mall ) .

Hand blended Starberry and Pinacolada Shake 

Mango Jalepino Chicken Burger 

High Mile Chicken Burger with "Wasabi-Fries" 

Strawberry Shake with whipped cream 

Onion Rings . 

Fenugreek Burger ( It gives a flavour of Indian curry "Aloo-Methi") 

Good way to promote the brand . 

Sameer Chopra , enjoying his Chargrilled Paneer Burger