Baisakhi Menu - Kangan , Westin

Baisahki - Punjabi New Year and the harvest festival celebrated in the land of 5 rivers is on April 14th, 2015 and the celebrations have already begun.

All over Punjab there are Melas (fairs) to bring in this joyous occasion .

No celebration in Punjab or in a Punjabi household where ever it may be on the globe is complete without food , drink and the generous spirit of sharing joy and love.

Kangan - the restaurant at Westin , Pune that serves delectable cuisine from the legendary North West Frontier province and Hyderabad , has put together a wonderful selection of authentic Punjabi favorites to celebrate Baisakhi.

I was absolutely delighted with the spread and here are a few pictures of what we enjoyed.

The Baisahki menu has wonderful Punjabi staples like Langar Walli Daal , Aloo Wadi , Dhabewalli Kukkad , pindi chole , slow cooked sarso ka saag , Fish Amritsari with a wonderful flavor of Ajwain that will take you back to little bylanes of Amritsar where this snack originated and other wonderful dishes

 Wonderful beverages to accompany your meal , we enjoyed some Lassi and Jal Jeera !

Ofcourse the desserts are wonderfully executed , we had crisp jalebi with rabri ....it was just right not overpoweringly sweet and the signature dessert at Kangan - Gulab ke patte ki kheer is something you should not miss!

Do checkout the Baisakhi special menu.

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WTF Seaons Mall Pune

I had heard so much about WTF from friends in Bombay and friends in Pune who attended the launch and pre-launch tasting sessions that I was mighty excited about spending Friday night there with PuneFoodiez.....



The place has a very cool , youthful and relaxed vibe about it! I totally loved the way the space has been designed and put together ...

The indoor area has a lovely well stocked bar and cool graffiti is everywhere on the walls ...on the menu cards...

Mojito & Apple Martini

The drinks were all pretty neat I had a few sips of the cocktails friends at my table ordered....Each one was well executed .

The food menu is pretty limited , mostly bar/finger food ....nothing like a main course really....

So this is some of what we tried ...

Hummus with Pita

WTF French Fries

I was a little disappointed with the food ....because on a night out FOOD is the hero!

Bombil Thecha Roll

Chicken Naan Pizza

Chicken Kemma Pav

I did however enjoy a few things like the chicken keema pav , Hummus and the chilli chicken! A lot of the dishes that my friends really enjoyed I could not really taste because I dont eat red meat!

Overall its a nice place to catch up with friends over a few drinks .
I will defiantly go back for the lovely drinks and ambiance   :))) ...... I will also go try WTF at Phoenix Mall sometime soon and let you know how that was...

Stone Water Grill

Stone Water Grill is hands down the city's most loved party/ dining destination and Pune diners have missed the place sorely since it closed for renovation.

Stone Water Grill re-opens this week and with  my lovely friends from Pune Foodiez , I was invited to a Preview Dinner.

Its already at a great advantage  being located in Koregaon Park , the epicenter of all things happening ...add to that a spectacular river view and spruced up interiors ....

Like before there is both an indoor and outdoor dinning area....you can choose to dine outside under a canopy of twinkling stars along side the dramatic lighting effects and water features or inside in the elegant charcoal grey dinning area...

Stone Water Grill has been instrumental in introducing Pune to experiential dining along with excellent service...

Chef Shailendra Kekade- Pune's style chef is all set to take diners on a world class gastronomic journey with a new innovative menu..... The new menu comprises of modern European dishes and every dish is prepared to delight the diner

Miso butter with cumin breadsticks, Infused olive oil with bread, Aracinni di Riso with smoked aubergine soup

Not only does the food taste spectacular with several layers of flavor and great texture it also looks breathtaking! I love when a restaurant puts in so much care and love in plating a dish!

The soups are fantastic I loved the Light Tomato Tea aka the ginseng , ginger and tomato soup....the Mushroom Cappuccino was fabulous ......

Light tea- tomato, ginseng, ginger soup, Chicken & Mushroom Broth ,Chilled Pomegranate Gazpacho with garlic bread

The food is dramatic and fabulous ....there is plenty to choose from Salads like Soy Roast Duck with medicinal herbs and pomegranate , Mushroom Galouti with saffron brioche .........Wood fired pizzas that Stone Water Grill has always been famous for.......even the humble burger has been elevated to dizzying culinary grandeur under the skilled hands of Chef Shailendra Kekade.....

All vegetarian Mushroom Galouti Kebab served over saffron Brioche

All the vegetarian food we tried was remarkably good....right from the fluffy as a cloud Miso butter with cumin flavored bread sticks to the Mushroom Risotto....the Arancini di Riso with smoked eggplant soup....

Grilled wasabi cottage cheese with papaya salsa

Roasted pepper Tortellini with creme fraiche and toasted garlic crumbs

The salads are a work of art so many different flavors at work all at once....

The shots and Mocktails/Cocktails are astounding but thats no surprise because Stone Water Grill has always boasted of an amazing bar!

Eye of the Tiger ;)

I tried a shot called the "Eye of the Tiger" with a Raspberry Raviolli and lets just say it made me a better person if only just for the evening ;))

And dessert was luscious Pannacotta with lemon leaf and pink peppercorns amongst serveal other equally fantastic desserts....

Malai coconut Panacotta with pink pepper corns and Kafir lime gastrique 

Its rare for me to enjoy a place THIS much ....I have never found any reason to complain of my time at Stone Water Grill ....the place looks amazing....plays great music....attracts the right kind of people ....boasts of an excellent service staff and good God even serves spectacular food!!

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable night .....this is the place to go to for seriously good food or if you just want to unwind over a few drinks along with great appetizers and  great music !

Stone Water Grill
Pyramid Complex
81/82 North Main Road
Koregaon Park

Call (020) 67251000 for Reservations

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Pune's best Vada Pao

The summer is on its way out and its time for the great Indian Monsoons!

I was away from India for the last two monsoons so I am really looking forward to the rains this year!

Its amazing how the change in weather gets me craving for completely different kinds of food.All through the summer months all I wanted was lots of fruit ...Mangoes...lots of juices and cold coffee 

And now just after the first rains of the season all I really want is hot chocolate , onion pakodas ( fritters) and ofcourse Vada Pao!

Vada Pao is basically a giant potato filling.... batter coated and deep fried to crispy perfection and served in a pao (melt in your mouth pillow-y bread)...

There are several versions found all around Maharashtra and Vada Pao makes for excellent street food ...think of it as India's version of a burger!

Makes for a great , quick , portable lunch/snack...

This post is about MY most favorite Vada Pao in my home city of Pune....I have tried several iconic stalls that serve this addictive snack but this is THE best according to me...

Its always bustling with people , the vadas are crunchy and hot , its served with a delicious sweet-spicy chutney and comes with a side of chopped onions and pickled lemon /green chillies...

Go here when you are in Pune next ...Rs 14 for a Vada Pao dont forget to ask for double chutney and lots of green chillies. :))

JJ Garden Vada Pao

Behind M G Road

Near JJ Agyari (Fire Temple)

‘Bake Like A Pastry Chef’ at Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Center

Whenever I begin to gather ingredients for baking, I am reminded of love....
Nothing fills a house with joy as much as the aroma and prospect of a  freshly baked cake no matter how basic it is .....
Baking marks a celebration , fills a child's heart with glee and revives lagging spirits ....
Baking comes from the heart ...

Delicious Tea Cake

Baking is about loving , about sharing and about giving as much as it is about cooking.....

Chef de Partie Gerwin D'souza

The lovely people at Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Center hosted a wonderful afternoon to a packed audience ...

Chef de Partie Gerwin D'souza hosted a baking master-class aptly titled "Bake like a Pastry Chef".

Cheese Cake

In a short span of just an hour and a half the  young and immensely talented Chef Gerwin D'souza taught us how to make muffins, crispy short bread , healthy oat cookies , scrumptious tea cake ,tiramisu and ravishingly good baked New York style cheese cake!

Brilliant baked cheese cake

The masterclass was held in a state of the art assembled bakery with cameras and television displays so that the audience could see every step of the recipe no matter where they were seated.....

Tiramisu

Chef Gerwin D'souza interacted with the audience in his witty , charming style and answered queries all through the session.....

Crispy shortbread cookies

What followed was sampling of everything that we learnt and high -tea.

Healthy oats cookies

And its Tea Time!

A truly memorable afternoon and I learnt so much in such a short span of time!

I highly recommend all forthcoming baking master classes with Chef de Partie Gerwin D'souza....its not often that one has the chance to interact and learn from such a gifted Chef who is so devoted to the art of baking!

Wonderful audience in rapt attention!

Delhi Belly Food Festival at JW Marriott Pune

The food in Purani (old) Delhi is legendary.

Tucked away in the congested narrow alley ways of the capital you will find spectacular food....the best creamy kheer at Bade Mian in Lal Kuan, fantastic Dahi Bhallas at Natraj , crispy jalebis at Daribe ke Old and Famous Jalebiwalla .....mutton and chicken korma at Ashok & Ashok....the list is long!

Old Delhi has a marvelous legacy of food, everything is a treat to the taste buds. I love exploring the food of Pooranie Dillie ....

Flaky hot Nan-Khatai ( Biscuits) being sold on a street cart in Chandani Chowk, Old Delhi

I specially loved buying fresh , melt in your mouth , warm Nan Khatais from a street vendor in Old Delhi during my last visit there....

You can imagine then how excited I was when I heard that JW Marriott in Pune is hosting a delighful food festival featuring the best of Old Delhi Food.

Beverages on offer - Cutting chai , Nimbu Shikanjvi, India Gate style Baraf ke Gole

Aptly called the Delhi Belly Food Festival its a treat for ever food loving Pune-ite....

Chef Ajmal Salim with Chef Halim from  Delhi

I loved the detailed planing for this food festival. The very talented Chef Ajmal along with Chef Halim (who specialises in Delhi & Lucknowi food) have made great efforts to keep the food very authentic and re-create old Delhi classics like

Patel Nagar ki Shikanjavi
Chankdni Chowk ka Banta Masala Soda
India Gate ke Baraf Gole
Tawa wallie Shakarkandi Chaat
Karol Bagh ke Chole Bhature
Jama Masjid ki Mashoor Biryani
Purani Dillie Ka Shahie Tukra 

Just writing about the charming street food of Old Delhi is enough to make my mouth start watering yet again!

Falky Mathie with aged Lemon and Mango Pickle

Each table was set with a platter of perfectly khasta (flaky & crispy) Mathie , Sonth (sweet Tamarind and Jaggery Chutney) , green chutney, Mango & Lemon Pickle!

Drool worthy Mathie

The Mathie/ Mathri  and pickle were both very authentic ....they tasted just like what my Dadijee would make.

Being bang in the middle of the summer months there are an array of India Gate special flavored ice golas along with very refreshing Patel Nagar ki Neembu Shikanjvi on offer....

For starters we had some very well made Rajinder Nagar Style Dahi ke Kebab and Channa ke Shammi...both very well done ...its always nice when the vegetarian starters are as good as the non-vegetarian starters.

Melt in your mouth vegetarian Dahi Ke Kebab

The show stopper of my meal was definatley the tandoori chicken...its was so perfectly succulent and well spiced....I enjoyed it with Moolchand ka ande ka paratha ....

Perfect Tandoorie Kukkad

Main course was creamy dal makhani and delicatley spiced Jama Masjid Murg biryani with  moist tender pieces of chicken....

Purani Dillie Ki Daal Makhani

Jama Masjid Ki Mashoor Murg Biryani

And best of all for dessert we had some Gol Market style  Kulfi milk shake complete with falooda and sabja seeds! I had never heard of a kulfi -falooda milk shake....and I do love a good kulfi....so this was the perfect end to a very good meal...

Kulfi Falooda Shake Gol Market Style 

The "Delhi Belly Food Festival" Buffet is currently underway at the JW Marriott, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune  from 16th May -31st May 2014.

This specially crafted buffet menu is available for dinner between 7:30 am - 11 pm at Spice Kitchen and also at Shakahari (For Vegetarian Diners).

Priced at INR 1000 AI for adults and INR 500 for children below the age of 12 years at the Spice Kitchen, JW Marriott.

I strongly recommend this excellent dining experience to savour the charming food of Puranie Dillie without having to get on a plane or brave the narrow crowded streets of Old Delhi.

The Club Mahabaleshwar

One hundred and thirty three years ago 6 British Army Officers met in Frere Hall and decided to apply to the Collector in Satara for permission to have an Army Officer's Club in Mahabaleshwar. 

They proposed to convert the old Army Sanitarium Blocks into the Club's Chambers and convert the Frere Hall into a Club House. Permission was granted and this  makes Mahabaleshwar Club one of the 30 oldest surviving Clubs of India, after the departure of the British.

The Club, Mahabaleshwar a complex of charming colonial style structures built of exposed red brick with arched windows and sloping roofs is one of the last surviving bastions of Mahabaleshwar’s heritage and history. 

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Its handsome red stone buildings, colourful flowerbeds, old trees and quaint memorabilia .....such as the large bell near the dining room which is still used to this day to indicate the start and end of every meal at The club's dining hall evoke memories of a more genteel past. 

For over 130 years, the Club has been a home away from home for its many members.

The Club offers its Members gentle and gracious blend of contemporary comforts and old–world hospitality, a seamless meld of tradition and modernity. 

The charm of the Club is not merely in its buildings and gardens, splendid though these are. It is also in its exceptionally friendly staff.

They know members and their families by name and, during their stay, attend to their needs with courtesy and care.

The lovingly cared for gardens, flower beds and foliage make it a pleasure to relax in the generous shade of the old trees or stretch out on a hammock or garden chair.

 

The food is excellent...watch this space for a detailed post on the food and an exclusive behind the scenes  kitchen tour at The Club , Mahabaleshwar.