Kashmiri Mekhal - A Vegetarians Delight

Festivals, Rituals , Ceremonies are all about Celebrations galore. and Celebrations cant be Complete without Food .. Like all Communities, Even Kashmiris have their own set of Rituals & Functions which are celebrated with great aplomb, splendor & passion ..and Food happens to be on top of the list as part of the Celebration .. Kashmiri food  is hugely popular amongst Non Vegetarian foodies, thanks to the exquisite range & variety of Mutton preparations namely Roganjosh, Mutton Yakhni, Mutton Kaliyaa, Methi Maas, Keema or Mach, TabakMaas, etc, However one Very Important Festival, brings to light some lesser knowm but highly delicious Vegetarian Dishes of the Kashmiri Cusine

One Such Function is Called the YagnoPavit, which is like an Induction of a Child into adulthood with tying of the sacred thread . Being a very Important Religious festival, one gets to experience some of the lesser known but really exquisite Kashmiri delicacies....Kashmiri Food & Vegetarian, is quite an unlikely & non appealing combination, but one is in for a surprise
Ask anyone who has eaten at the Mekhal Function, The Mekhal Dal, which is quite a relevation .Imagine a Dal, which is cooked without any Onions, Tomatoes, Garlic, Ginger - No Tadkaa , seems quite bland & tasteless, not this one ...Washed Moong ki Daal, Cooked with loads of Fresh Cow Milk, Pure Desi Ghee, dash of Cloves, Cumin seeds, little Garam Masala -Traditionally made by a Slow Cooking Process - so that the mild flavors mix nicely & the richness of Fresh Milk & Ghee is absorbed into the Daal ... Such Mild spices mixed so well & cooked traditionally by a slow cooking method, it will surely surprise you

Next is the Legendary Khatte Baingan --- Khatte Baingan, are one of the more popular, Kashmiri Vegetarian Dishes .... Small Brinjals are deep fried first in refined oil , Cooked in a thick gravy of Tamarind soaked water, Kashmiri Red Chillies, Suanf , Sonth, Garam Masala and loads of Oil --- The Gravy is greasy, tangy to the core, with the Red Chillies adding a big bite & spice to the Gravy ...Have it with Hot steamed rice ,,,,and you will get a really tangy, deep red colored gravy ,,, Brinjals were never so hot

Paneer Kaliyaa - Yet another exquisite Kashmiri Vegetarian Delicacy - Paneer Kaliyaa.. This Dish actually takes inspiration from its Non Vegetarian Cousine - Mutton Kaliyaa ... This dish is a must in Kashmiri Cusine for a lot more practical reasons than customary.. This is Fresh Cottage Cheese, cooked in a really exotic curry of Turmeric & Milk, with Saffron, Saunf, Cardamom, Cinnamom - again done through slow cooking, so that all these wonderful spices mix well over slow cooking to bring out the flavors of all these exqusite ingredients ... Thanks to the really hot & spicy dishes in the Kashmri Cusine, This Dish is a good Balancer for the spices . Helps well to neutralise the Spices, with a rich & mild Curry .....


Nadru Yakhni - Another Vegetarian Classic - Nadru is almost a Staple Food stuff in the traditional Kashmiri Cusine..Lotus Stem, Kamal Kakdi, Behn -this is known by many names . Not many people take a great fancy to this food, But For Kashmiris, this is a well eaten & heavily consumed ingredient ..The Yakhni, is a rich yoghurt based Dish - again with the use of richly aromatic spices, Dried Ginger, Cardomom, Cinnamom, Black Pepper, Dried Saunf Powder . . This has a Rich Grey Color, due to the heavy use of Saunf, Shaunth & Yogurt ...Another Tasty & Classic Dish

Another Delicacy in Kashmiri Menu & again a Very Popular Mehkal & Festival Snack is the Nadru- Luchiya .. Luchi, is like a medium sized Puri, made out of Maida ..This is a Very Mild Bread with less spices ... There is a technique to make the luchi - Once the Oil is heated well, at a reasemain sofonable temperature - neither too cold nor too hot, the dough is added for frying, at a medium level . This way the Luchis, dont go too crisp, and remain very soft & heavily oiled, due to the medium flame frying... It has had with the Fried Nadrus Monj - Lotus stem churma , ou may call it .. small pieces of the lotus stem mixed with Red Chillies, Corn Flour, Zeera and little spices are deep fried  to get a deep brown color .. The soft luchis along with the very crisp, Nadru Monj ( Fried Lotus Stem sticks) make for a good snack

Look at the Other Amazing Snacks, which are on display on a Typical Kashmiri Mekhal Function

Pizza Hut- Special Offer - 3 Course Meal for Rs 99/=

The Organised QSR - Quick Service Restaurant Category is expected to grow by leaps and bounds in India, While the Unorganised QSR concept has been already on for ages, with each city having its own signature shops tucked away in some Corner of the City, Offering the Local Indigenous food of that city, which is quick & lite both on the palate & wallet as well . Generally considered good enough for a snac or a Light meal, this Concept of eating out is fast ctaching up & on a significant rise over the last decade or so, thanks to rising disposable incomes, a major portion of which is spent on food  groceries, eating out, comprises a big chunk of the earnings here .. Pizza hut, has been a true pioneer in this Concept of eating out good quality meals, in quick time  ... Been Innovative & leading from the front in terms of the Marketing, there has been a very aggressive adaptation to the Indian Palate, Culture, Taste & Preferences by Pizza Hut ..

The Latest one, is the absolutely enticing Offer of a 3 Course meal for Rs 99/- ...This is really an eye ball grabber & a definite crowd puller to the already waitlisted (Weekends) restaurants of Pizza Hut .... In Rs 99, You get to make Choice of 1 Medium Pan Pizza (Veg or Non Veg) + 1 Appetiser (Garlic Bread Plain) or Potato wedges, Lemonade and a very attractively Priced set of add ons , which are available only with this Menu . For Eg, Rs 5 for a Cheese Garlic Bread, Rs 35 for a Soup, which makes one feel like topping up their meal options & go for a slightly loaded offer .. we also order the Garlic Bread exotica, My wifes favorite - The Difference between this & the Normal Garlic bread, is of the veggies

Cream of Mushroom ...... was an Ok OK

Look at that.. the Garlic bread exotica..Onions, Tomatoes, Melted Mozarella, Olives .... Red,, Black color of Olives, yellow color of the melted cheese, slightly of whitish Onions, on top of a butter loaded yellow wheat base, with a Brown roasted Crust ...makes for an amazng Color display ..... The melted Cheese Bites, the softness of the butter, the Juiciness of the Tomatoes, the freshness of the Olives, makes for a smooth heavily textured garlicy flavor, and just neutralised by the Crispy & crunch toasted bread crums ....Oooh La La !!!

Beauty....what colors, what texture .....

Chicken Fiesta

Was a little spicy, with th Green Chillies, adding a real bite to the otherwise normal and bland taste of the Pizza .. all in all, a Good Experience ...

Methi Ke Parathe with Dahi, Makkhan & Mirchi ka Achaar

As proudly stated on my Blog earlier as well, My morning walks leave me all the more hungry & excited for that perfect weekend breakfast, which is set to pep up your day & add another rewarding foodie feather in your Cap... My Weekend Morning Walk buddy, and a childhood buddy, always kept telling me about his Moms cooking skills & how she makes some of the best Parathas in the world .... Actually theres nothing surpsising about somebody really loving their Moms cooked food and even  being inspired by it  Many a Eulogies, many a poems, have been dedicated to Moms food and praises galore have been bestowed upon it by purists all over Our country .... Some things which people always find better than any thing else or better than most others - Your Moms Food, Somebody elses Salary and Wife, and your Kid ---- So coming back to his moms food, I created circumstances for me to be Invited to find for myself & validate my Friends claim . I reached on a Nice & Sunny, Saturday Moring, after an extra round of Morning Walk to have some Parathas
Was quite delighted to see the Parathas ... Fresh Methi leaves were mixed in the Dough, along with some Ghee ... The Parathas were Thin, with the Methi & Palak mix, evenly spread out in the Paratha, forming a uniform layer.. The Methi gives a rich & dark green color to the Parathas ... The Brown & Black Crispiness of the Parathas, along with the Dark green of the Methi & Palak, gave the Paratha, quite a good green Color ... Fresh methi, gives a very fresh & strong flavor to the Paratha, also adds a nice & mild pungency to the taste ...

Methi Paratha, with a Dollop of Amul Lite

The small Dollop of Butter, adds that amazing taste , texture & aroma to the Paratha

The Parathas are to be had with a Spicy, Fiery Red Chilli Anchaar... Its quite a Dynamite to have, especially Winter time . You can be assured, you will be all spiced up

Red Chilli Anchaar

Have it with Fresh & Chilled Dahi, to cool off the effects of the Spicy Red Chilli Anchaar .. The Dahi will just help you cool off ....

You may Polish it off with the Oatmeal & Milk, just the perfect finisher for a spicy & hot breakfast

Oatmeal ....

Delhi 6 - Daulat ki chaat & Japani Samose

Continuing on Delhi-6 Exploration, Foodie Delights happened to taste another food, that is a vintage Signature Old Delhi speciality . The Daulat ki Chaat..Its actually a sweet..Not quite a Mithai not quite a dessert ...Its actually one of the most exquisite looking food one can taste.... A Huge, white milky & Frothy heap of whipped cream is kept on Huge vessels .. The Milk is whisked for hours together to get that frothy creamy heap .... The Daulat ki Chaat is not found in sweet shops or halwai shops, as we call in delhi ... There are local vendors, mainly hailing from UP & Bihar, who sell these on movable wooden stands ..... Priced at Rs 20 for a Plate, the taste actually takes a lot of precision from your Tongue .... The Cream just melts as soon as it lands on your tongue .. You realise that its just a very light puffed up cream, that leaves a very light lingering sweetness on your tongue ..Very lightly sweetened, Its topped up with Bhura (Unrefined sugar), some khoya to add a little crunchness, bite & bit of sweetness in the Dessert...Flavored with Saffron , Cardamom, which leaves a rich flavor in the mouth ... This is Old Delhis Classic & found in Winters manly, as the Cream melts away in the High temperatures in Summers... Old Delhi Loves its Deaulat Ki Chaat.....Unique, Great Concept, Novelty...Great stuff ....

Look at that..... Delight.......

Next we move from Chandni Chowk to a Place called Lala Lajpat Rai Bhavan...which is famous for its , another Unique food Item called the Japani Samosa .. On entering the Market, you will have to navigate your way through Tiny Bylanes, filled with flies, fleas,insects etc, before you find your way out on the main road, where the Manohar Dhaba is located

The Bylanes of Lala Lajpat Rai Market

Here it is , Manohar Dhaba proudly announces its Identity- Japani Samose wale ---- I came to Know from the Owner, that he has somehow got this Food patented & this name cant be used  any Other food...Looks like a organised way to sell the street food

The Japani Samose is a Deep Fried flaky, Crispy Kind of a Pattice, whch has a huge number of clearly defined & visbile edges , Layers, that give this patty, that extra crsipiness & that more flak ....... Deep Inside is a small Pea & Cumin stuffing ..... Served with Spicy Cholle, The Japani Samosa, has been a trademark food for this Shop for more than 40 years now....

Look at that...Crsip Layers of the pattice, just add the extra Crunch into the bite & the Oil in each layer, just helps soften the peas nicely .... Vintage Old Delhi!

Delhi 6 - Parathe Wali Galli

Chandni Chowk, Delhi 6 - is completely full of the Delhi Signature . The Delhi of Yesteryears, The Delhi, which has a Great history, The Delhi which has Great Culture, Amazing architecture, breath taking scenic beauty in this time of the year, The City which has besotted many a Historians, The City whose Charm have befallen many a Emperors, The City, over which many dynasties have fought... Many Of them have Captured it, many have ruled it, But yet never Completely understood it. The mystique that is Delhi .... Filled with this Mystique, this Signature of the unsolved, of the unresolved Cultural conflicts & historian debates, Stands the Delhi 6, or Purani Delhi, as Delhiwallas call it ... Purani Delhi, has that rustic, mytical Old world Charm of Delhi......May be there was an entire generation of People who came & settled in this part of the city, while teh city was still evolving from the aftermath of destrcution that the Partition of 1947, offered. The Pain & Grief of losing all at once, the painstaking journey of building the Life brick by brick, Fighting against all odds, whethering all troubles, & the small joys of gradually rebuilding your nest - Delhi 6, would have witnessed it all.. Thats why People even after leaving this part of their City in search of better Life, better houses, or due to Nuclear families coming into prominence, still feel. they have left a part of themselves in Delhi-6

Foodie Delights, tried to explore the Legend that surrounds the Food here at Purani Delhi - and in this attempt, reached the World famous, Parathe wali Galli in Chandni Chowk... ParatheWali Galli is like the seeding point, the originator of the street food of Delhi. Some also call it the mecca of Street Food (Dillis Ishtyle)

This is the start of the Parathe Wali Galli...There are some 7-8 Parathe Shops here in this Galli, But after lot of scouting around & reference from fellow foodie, we located the Original Pioneer of this world famous -Chandni Chowk ke Parathe

This is the Shop, which has quite a wide entrance, with seating for about 25-30 people at one time . One can also check the Photographs of some prominent Celebrities & Political leaders, hung on the walls, to lend credibility to their fame of Originality, authenticity & genuineness

The Champion Mixer, already has the range of Masalas in front of him - All the varieties or stuffings are neatly arranged in 8-10 small vessels

Look at that for a Range.. The No of Parathas in Sweets are as much as the Namkeen Varieties ...I am sure Analysts & Management experts would be stunned by the sheer variety & how these guys manage their SKUs, as we call in Business Parlance ...Any Body with common sense would tell you that, In unorganised Food Chains, especially Highly persihable commodities, its quite tough to keep so many SKUs & actuall able to make & offer these varieties in really quick time

Kaju, Dry Fruits, Rabri, Khoya, Sugar. Khurchan, Karela, Bhindi,Aloo, Muli, Gaajar, Mix, Paneer, Daal, Gobhi, Parat or layer paratha, Besan Paratha,Mutter or peas, Papad , Paper,Methi, Pudina, Nimbu, Mirchi, Tomato, Kela, Meva, Gudd .......... This is really unbelievable stuff.... Great Inventory Management, Excellent Processes, Terriffic Supply chain, Meticulous planning, Very fast turn around Time --- All are great takeaways from Management Planning perspective

Thats the Tag which is so proudly displayed..Established Since 1875 ....a Hundred & thirty six years ago....

Look at the plate for the Parathas ..they serve the Parathas with some condiments .. there is a seetafal sabzi, which is really hot & spicy, with loads of Garam Masala, a aloo ki subzi , and typical dhaaba style, the aloo is never peeled off, a Red Chilly, Tamarind & Banana Chutney, Mango & Carrot achchar

The Rabri Parathas are to die for .. Pizza hut you guys are late, we seem to have something similar to your Cheese burst, which was dished out some 135 years ago.....Its like a stuffed calizone ... You take a Bite & the rabri comes of ...... Hmmm amazing ...Right sweetness....just perfect..

The stuffings in front of the master Paratha Mixer....

All in all, a great experience .. Come savour the experienc, be a part of the mystique thats Old Delhi....Be a Part of History.......

The Simple & Humble- Bread Butter

There are very few Comfort foods that have remained so endearing for so many years . To many of us it would seem, that these Foods have been since time immemorial .. The Humble bread butter, is one such Comfort Food. All of us have been eating this , simple, humble, so conventional yet so cool food for so many years together ….. Most of us would have grown up eating the bread butter, from the Simple to make food for your School Tiffins, Breakfast, Evening Snacks, answer to ones midnight morning pangs…Bread Butter is like your Best Friend…..always there for your while you keep exploring relationships in life

There are many ways people prefer to have their Bread Butter…. Slightly soft & thaw butter cut from the Knife & applied to a Soft White Slice of bread, a slightly soft , slightly melted coat on the Fresh bread… Have it along with a Cup of Steaming Hot Tea, and One quickly realizes that the simple pleasures of life are always very simple, very basic.. A Crisp Golden Brown Toast, along with Butter which just melts away on the Hot , Crisp & Toasted Slice of Bread, just becomes too delicious to describe in words ….

While Toasted bread & Butter is what lot of people would have had, especially as the English BreakFast, gloriously describes , Eggs, Crisp Toasted breads with Butter, as the Ultimate Breakfast… I am sure not many of us would have tried the Roasted Bread Butter. That’s Right, Toasted Bread Butter … I generally love my Bread Butter in the Roasted form ….. Just take 4 Slices of Bread, Place them on a Steel Holder & Put it direct over the Gas Flame…Not on the Pan or Tawaa, but directly hold over the Flame, till it gets a Burnt, Black, Charred Look uniformly through the Slice….. Now place some Butter on the Burnt, Charred, Roasted Bread …… and Uffffff….. Try it to even attempt describing the taste …… A Hot Cup of tea, is absolutely divine….

That Burnt, Roasted, Charred Look.....Interesting!!!!!

I am sure this taste is absolutely amazing for the palate and difficult for any description ... Its not at all Crisp, It retains the softness, the Charred & Burnt taste , the amazing color gamut....Quite a Looker this Roasted Bread & Butter

See how the Butter melts away nicely....but not completely

Look at how the Butter is melted & stuck on the Bread … I just love the Color Gamut … White of the bread, Slight creamish yellow of the Butter, Brown, Black of the Burnt bread … Quite a Good fun to watch & eat .
Have this with a Cup of strong tea, Tez patti, less sugar, extra boil & have it with the Bread Butter

The Cutting Cup of Chai.....

As i Always say in my Blog - "Its Simple to be Happy, But so difficult to be Simple" ... This is one of the Most Simple Food yet still so endearing for Generations..... Cheers to Our Savior in Times, Good & Bad !!!

Khichdi Mavas - a Kashmiri Ritual !!!!!!

KhestiMavas - Supposed to be a very Important Fetsivals in Kashmiri Pandits, celebrated on Amavasya....I have been following this small ritual from Childhood, as it holds a special place in my palate & hence in my heart... This is one ritual, which sees the Household prepare some very  really delicious, meaty & sumptous meals ...

There is a Mutton Khichdi which is prepared .. A very simple Khichdi along with Fresh Mutton, from the Thighs, Lamp Chops, Legs ..... Mutton is tendered by marinating with bity of curd to soften it ... The Khichdi has nice balance of Spices ....

The Mutton Khichdi --with right balance of spices

The Lightly flavored taste of the Mutton Khichdi is complimented by having it with a Fiery, spicy , Mutton Roganjosh .....Carefully selected Meat from the few areas of the Goat, namely Lamb Chops or Mutton Chaamps, Raan, Thighs, Chest..add greatly to the taste of the RoganJosh ...and this is Classic RoganJosh we are talking about .. This gravy doesnt use any Onions, No Garlic, No Tomatoes, No Puree - Purely Spices Like Garam Masala, Kashmiri Chillies, Cardamom, Cinnamom, Little saffron, if you , want, and you get a really fine, really spicy Mutton Curry

Mutton RoganJosh......... Lamb Chops....

Well this was about the food, that is so special to this Important Ritual... Mutton Khichdi & Mutton RoganJosh, that add so greatly to the appeal of this festival. I am sure some people would like to know a bit about the history of this ritual...Pl read on

Khetsimavas:

There are several other festivals and Puja rites peculiar to Kashmiri Pandits, some of them dating back to hoary antiquity. One  such distinctly Kashmiri festival is Khetsimavas or Yakshamavasya which is celebrated on the amavasya or the last day of the dark fortnight of Pausha (December-January). Commemorative of the coming together and co-mingling of various races and ethnic groups in prehistoric Kashmir, khichari is offered on this day as sacrificial food to Kubera indicating that the cult of Yaksha existed there from very early times. Khetsimavas appears to be a folk-religious festival - a pestle, or any stone in case that is not available, is washed and anointed with sandalwood paste and vermilion on this evening and worshipped taking it to be an image of Kubera. Khichari is offered to him with naivedya mantras and a portion of it is kept on the outer wall of his house by the worshipper in the belief that Yaksha will come to eat it.

Thats KhestiMavas or Khichdi Mavas for you