Oh Ghee....!!!!

I found this list of 43 most mispronounced food words and it was quite an eye-opener. Some samplers...

Bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah)
Guacamole (wah-cah-moe-lay)
Ghee (ghee, not jee) - muhawhawhawhaw!
Turmeric (ter-me-rick)- never thought anyone needed to be told that, eh?

Now you know how to sound like a food snob :D !!!

Did you know...........
.....................................that crêpe is pronounced by the English as 'crape' and by the French as 'krep' (e is pronounced same as in the e in 'wet')?
Cartoon courtesy cartoonstock.com

Coorg Calling

What we devoured on a weekend break in Coorg Valley. Drool on keyboard guaranteed with this read.

What do you do when you are up to your ears with news about pigs that fly? Escape to Coorg and hog (pun unintended) on pork, like we did. And to our pleasant surprise, we also discovered that there's more to Kodava cuisine than just porcine delicacies, all thanks to our lovely hosts -Dilip and Vidya - at Kabbe Holidays.
The homestay offers atleast one authentic Coorg dish in every meal which meant that we ended up sampling a whole lot of awesome food during our stay, carefully prepared under Vidya's supervision.
If it was steaming upma and kaipuli pajji (chutney made from marmalade oranges) for breakfast one day, it was hot akki otti (roti made of rice) with nutty yell pajji (sesame seed chutney), served with honey and ghee the next. The otti, I've enjoyed earlier too, but the upma was a revelation. It made me, a champion upma detester, a convert for life!



Kabbe Holidays on NDTV - watch the anchor savour yell pajji and akki otti


Akki otti and yell pajji, Coorg honey and ghee

Lunch and dinner threw up many more lip-smacking delights, both from Coorg and beyond the border- spicy Kerala kadala curry (black chick pea curry), kootu curry, bollari fry (a delicious traditional dish with a tinge of sweetness, made from Mangalore cucumber), fried balekai (raw banana), steaming paputtu (rice cakes) with koli curry (chicken) and chaat kuru curry (made from black eyed beans). Vidya's mouth watering mushroom pickle (another Coorg speciality) was the perfect accompaniment to the meals.


(From L to R) bollari fry, poori, pork fry, kadala curry, balekai, chicken


Paputtu with koli curry

And the piece de resistance - pandi fry. Chewy chunks of pork, abundantly peppered, flavoured with kachipuli (also known as Malabar Tamarind or cambogia - the souring agent in Coorg food) and fried with crunchy onions - best enjoyed with chilled beer, friendly banter, gorgeous weather and a crackling bonfire. The fieriness of the dish left me disorientated after just one bite, but I was back for more after dousing my tongue with lots of water. Oh, and pork is prepared at Kabbe homestay by request only so Vidya needs to be informed in advance if guests would like to have it.


Simple but gutsy pandi fry

A special mention to the luscious desserts served by Vidya - kheer, bread pudding, caramel custard and the guilt-flavored, totally addictive chocolate cake that she baked for Balaji as soon as she got to know that his birthday fell on one of the days we were there!


Calorie rich! Saddle bags guaranteed

Due to favourable rain and climate conditions in the valley, fresh vegetables, fruits and spices are in abundant supply. We made the best use of our visit by stocking up on pepper and fragrant cardamom from Dilip's plantations, as well as the popular Coorg honey. Luckily for us, they had enough stock of home-made squashes of bitter sweet pomelo (chakota in Kannada) and tangy passion fruit, for us to take away a bottle each. By the way, these squashes make for great cocktails with vodka - as Balaji discovered, thanks to Dilip.


Bounties of Kodagu - that's kachipuli in the bottle on the left, followed by honey, pomelo squash, coffee and spices

On our way back to Bangalore, we picked up some of the famed coffee from Coorg Coffee Works, which is close to the clock tower at Virajpet. The Nilgiris outlet in Gonikoppa is a good place to pick up locally made squashes and fruit wines (pomegranate, star apple, fig - sounds deliciously exotic, right?). We also found kachipuli, pork masala and tender bamboo pickle (a Kodagu speciality again) here. Both towns have streetside vendors selling native fruits and vegetables for a fraction of the city prices- we found fresh avocados for Rs 20 a kilo (yes, read it again - Rs 20 a KILO).

And the air smelling of the freshness of spring? Priceless!



Did you know........
................................that pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, accounting for about 38 percent of meat production worldwide?
................................that the pomelo is also called the shaddock, after an English sea captain who introduced them to the West Indies?
...............................that natives of Coorg are NOT called Coorgis? The correct term is Coorgs or Kodavas and the language spoken by them is also called Coorg.

Sri Shankarnarayana Refreshments

10, 12th Cross,
JP Nagar 2nd Phase ,
Bangalore.
Phone : 080 42456060

Food: 3/5
Ambience: 1.5/5
Self service
Meal for 2: Rs 50-75

We heard of this very well-kept-secret of a brekkie joint only recently, though it has been around for the past 18 years or so. Methinks its one of the perils of a small establishment which does not rely on accolades of idli/dosa-kaapi contests, content with only word of mouth publicity.
So we hunted down this place on a hungry Sunday. Yes, actually hunted it down - it's in an obscure street in the belly of JP Nagar - and to avoid going round in circles like we did, here is a 3 step plan:
1] Go to Rangashankara
2] Ask for directions to Ambarish's house (you don't know Ambarish? the red-eyed-'rebal'-star?)


3] Once you are done trying to peek into his compound, ask any passerby for SN Refreshments (or bhattru's votlu - as known in those parts) and there you are!


Ramachandra Bhat and staff

And what did we find here? One of the best idli-vada combos this side of town, swimming in a puddle of lipsmacking, spicy coconut chutney. Crispy, perfectly done vada and sambar. Hot masala dosas straight off the griddle, giving out sibilant sizzles. Pongal, khara bath and all other tiffan items too. Strong coffee to down it all with. And if you can manage to stuff yourself some more, don't leave without giving the kesaribath a try. One spoonful of saffron sweetness is enough to make you weep with joy...ok maybe I'm getting a bit dramatic here....but you get the drift, dontcha?


Fluffy idlis with the best vadas in town


Nutty coffee



The pièce de résistance

And if you are left licking your lips throughout the day, did I mention that bhattru's place is open in the evenings too? ( 7am to 1pm and 3.30pm to 7.30pm on weekdays, 7am to 1am on Sundays) Mast majaa maadi!
P.S - You still don't know who Ambarish is? Seriously??

Did you know................
........................that the bath (or bhaat or baath) in "kesaribath" means "steamed rice" in Marathi? Though popular versions of this dessert use rava or semolina, the rice preparation is similar to "sakkare pongal" minus the dal.
.......................that the good old vada has a hole in the middle for even cooking? Since the batter is thick, the hole allows the vada to be cooked from the inside as well.

Hello World

We are back (in case you thought we had fallen off the face the earth). Life here got busy the past few months and a lot of things went on the backburner, this blog being one of them. In the meantime, we have visited new restaurants, discovered yummy recipes, tried new cuisines and rediscovered old ones. Result: thickening waistlines and a few hundred pending posts.
We hope you missed us. (Please say yes)
And now that we know you did :) we hope to be more regular in our blog updates.
Thanks for staying around!

Edited to add: Don't forget to take the quiz on the right.

Cheers!

Our blog was featured in the Bangalore supplement of Deccan Chronicle on the 21st of October 2008! Yaaaaaaay!!!!


Click here to read the article

Needless to say, we are mighty thrilled about it..because all along, we thought we had like three readers...What with our long spells of absence and chronic laziness we did not expect anyone would even notice this blip of a blog in the big, vast blogosphere. But hey, we are glad someone thought it was worth a mention, albeit three sentences spanning twelve lines - but what precious, precious twelve lines of newsprint!
And now, time to bring out the tissues. Thanks a million to you- our readers. If not for you, we wouldn't be motivated enough to write about our wonderful experiences. Thanks for the comments, suggestions and feedback. And for the ones who haven't given any, please delurk! We would love to hear from you.
We would like to thank our family and friends for their overwhelming support...errr...doesn't matter that most of them didn't even know about the blog till we showed them the article...and we aren't even going to mention the ones who said...'Blog- aa? Andre?*' (Aaaargh!!!)
And who can forget my well known aversion to anything that starts with 'cook' and ends with 'ing' as well as Balaji's insatiable appetite for food (sorry hon...couldn't resist that dig...teeeheeheee!)If not for those, we would not have ventured into uncharted territories in Bangalore and beyond, sampling culinary delicacies and disasters, to regale you with our adventures.
OK. As you can see I am super excited which is why I am getting absurdly wordy....which in turn is why...tadaaaaa....I wrote two posts today! Leaving you to catch up on the post below and thanks once again! Muah!
Psssst...there's a surprise give away coming up this month so hang in there!

* Andre? - Kannada expression for 'Means what?' accompanied by a blank look.

Gourmet Bazaar at The Olive Beach

16, Wood Street,
Ashok Nagar,
Bangalore - 560025.
Phone : 41128400, 9945565483
Website : http://www.olivebarandkitchen.com/

Gourmands in Bangalore must by now, be well aware of The Olive Beach, an award winning restaurant cocooned in white washed walls keeping with the Mediterranean theme of the cuisine. Since much has been written already in every possible food review worth its salt, extolling the virtues of its thin crust pizza or the crunchiness of their marinated pear salad, we will not bore you with more of the same!





But we thought we must, absolutely must, make a mention of their gourmet bazaar, a fun concept that started around a year ago and takes place on the third Saturday of every month. This is when you can find tables groaning under the weight of a delectable selection of chocolates, cheeses, jams, pestos, pickles, oils.....in a rustic European market like setting with wooden boards, checkered table cloths and picnic baskets. The perfect (though pricey) opportunity to furnish your kitchen larder with exotic condiments while munching on some freshly baked goodies.
We stocked up on chunks of toasted almond chocolate, sinful walnut brownies and flavorful Greek feta cheese. We loved the slices of ham pisaladiere (no, I don't know how to pronounce that but its nothing but pizza!) and the chocolate croissants that we had while browsing through the stalls. Not to forget the rosemary and sea salt focaccia - the words alone make my mouth water. It paired wonderfully with bacon at breakfast the next day and tasted deliciously.... delicious on its own or with olive oil mopped up. There was also the awesomest collection of meats available - salty, smoked, cured, dried - good enough to take back home for hearty breakfasts or a quick sandwich.




Freshly baked comfort


Olives - rightly known as 'gift from the gods'

Coonawara wines had a wine sampling counter in the bazaar the day we had dropped by. And who can say no to free wine! Tea tasting sessions, cooking demos, fun kitchen accessories, home made jams and preserves, seasonal produce are other treats you can expect to find in this market.




Hic!

The happy bonhomie in this colorful bazaar is hard to miss. With all things culinary under one roof, the gourmet bazaar makes for a memorable gastro-shopping experience.

Did you know....................
........................that Olive Beach is co-owned by Sagarika, sister of the popular Indian singer Shaan?
.......................that the word 'gourmet' is from the French term for a wine broker employed by a wine dealer?

Hae Kum Gang

20, Paul Castle,
Castle Street, Near Brigade Towers,
Ashoknagar, Bangalore - 5600025.
Phone : 41127730, 41127732
email : haekumgang@hotmail.com

Food: 3.25/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2.5/5
Meal for 2: Rs 700

The food scene in Bangalore never ceases to amaze us. Where else would you find great Korean food, prepared true to its roots, miles away from its land of origin? Hae Kum Gang (named after a river in Korea), on Castle Street, pleasantly surprised us with the lovely cuisine of far away Korea.
Perched on the second level of a drab office building, one would not believe that this restaurant houses a cheerful and homely atmosphere - spilling over with Koreans, busy catching up with each other and with their ghar ka khana! A boisterous group of Korean students occupied the table next to ours and their spirit was infectious. Artefacts from and about Korea filled the simple and well lit dining area.



Crowded!


The staff was courteous and prompt though they hardly spoke any English (definitely room for improvement here). It was getting a bit difficult conversing with them which was when the owner, Mr Chi Jung Sik stepped in and was more than helpful with his suggestions.
Since we were totally clueless about Korean cuisine, he suggested the meal sets (with choices of chicken, seafood, beef, pork and vegetarian) which had a bit of everything that is part of a traditional Korean meal, something like our thalis.



Looks like Greek and Latin? - its actually Korean!


The chicken chulpan gui set had juicy chicken gui (grilled meat in Korean) presented on a sizzling plate (chulpan). And we really enjoyed slurping the outrageously tasty seafood broth that was part of the hemul jeon gol set (hemul means seafood). Rich and aromatic, with succulent pieces of fish, prawn, mussels, squid, shrimp and even crab - this broth alone can make for a wholesome meal even without the accompaniments.



Chicken chulpan gui set



Slurpy broth

Speaking of accompaniments, or banchan as they are known in Korea, the sets were served alongside spinach, sweetened baby potatoes, tofu, batter fried brinjal, vegetable soup and rice - all unlimited. Two kinds of kimchi (Chinese cabbage and radish) complete the meal. We heard that the kimchi is prepared fresh everyday and is also sold by the kilo.
Kimchi, a Korean staple made of fermented vegetables and spices, is traditionally eaten with rice and banchan. Spicy and tangy (sweeter variations are also found in certain regions of Korea) , it is probably Korea's best known food. In fact, the Koreans are so passionate about this food item that in 1986, a museum was established in Seoul to inform and educate the world about it!Thousands of foreigners were introduced to it for the first time during the Summer Olympics in Seoul in 1988!
Bulgogi is another popular meat dish in Korea made from marinated and barbecued beef. We had to give it a miss because we were stuffed (after all the broth and kimchi we gulped down!) but we are sure it is delicious.
We felt the dessert section was woefully inadequate considering that the rest of the menu was full of great choices. Ice creams in different flavours and a fruit dish with seasonal fruits in sugar syrup was all that was on offer.
Strictly for the adventurous foodie, this is the kind of place in Bangalore which will wake up your tastebuds. Jal meokkesseumnida (Bon Appetit) !

Did you know....................
........................that when taking photographs, South Koreans often use the word 'kimchi' in the same way as English speakers say 'cheese'?
........................that unlike the Chinese version, Korean chopsticks are medium length stainless steel rods that taper to a square blunted end, traditionally made of brass or silver? Koreans use a spoon for their rice and soup, and chopsticks for most other things at the table.
.......................that a segment of the population in Korea consume dog meat during the summer since it is believed to keep the body cool? Since 1984, selling dog meat has been illegal in South Korea. Dog meat manufacturing and processing are not allowed, but the order is sometimes ignored. And relax, Hae Kum Gang DOES NOT serve dog meat.