Koli Special खाद्यभ्रमंती on ABP माझा

This weekend I am going to be stuck to the TV screen and you too must grab the remote to watch it. Why? because my Thal and us Thalkar are going to dazzle the screen on Saturday, 7 Jan 2017 12.30 pm and 4:30 pm and Sunday, 8 Jan 2017 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm only on खाद्यभ्रमंती on ABP माझा

Back from a two day shoot at my native place Thal with Shefali Sadhu and her team of cameraman Shrikant and Uttam. It's been thrilling two days. I had cherished a dream of presenting Thal to the world and now that dream is a reality. We are presenting a Koli special on this Marathi Food Travel show.

Uttam one of the two cameraman came along with me to the village by road while Shefali took the waterway along with the other cameraman Shrikant. They shot some pieces on the way.

As soon as they reached the village I took them to the fish drying fields and the creek. We got talking to some women cleaning and sorting the dried fish.

From the busy fish drying fields I took them to the serene side of Thal beach right upto Shendya gundya one of our family Gods and the protector of the seashore. I did a Namaskar and asked him to bless the shoot and our team too for the success.

The next day we did the main shoot. I must thank the women who came dressed in the Koli traditional kaashti patal and the signature jewelry. 

We have presented three recipes that you will love. 

1. There is Kalvache gole or Rock oysters demonstrated by Nandini Patil.

2. Chavalachi roti or Tandalachi bhakri/ Rice flatbread by Jyoti Sakharkar and Himali Koli.

3. Pithachi bore by Your's truly which was first published on this blog.

Now I am crossing my fingers as ABP माझा team edits the shoot and looking forward to see the final outcome.

It was a very emotional project for me. I owed Thal this much. The location for cooking is the Moonvgavri home. You have seen my mother's Mami on this blog here. That is her home. Also a home where my Dwarkanath Mama lived and loved. Today his children have inherited that home and I thank them for letting us shoot there.

Hope you enjoy our efforts of bringing Thal to you thru this Koli special episode and the recipes too. Don't miss.

PS: After the broadcast the video will be uploaded to YouTube, which I will share here later.

Vasai Kala Krida Mohotsav 2016

VASAI KALA KRIDA MOHOTSAV was started 26 years ago in 1990 with the aim of increasing the awareness about the arts and sports. Today it has grown into a huge banyan tree from the first sapling that they planted. This year the celebrations started on the 26th Dec'2016 and will conclude today, 31st Dec'2016.

I feel truly honored to be invited to judge the Salad decoration competition even if it meant going to the other end of the city. The venue is the Chimaji Appa Ground for the sports and New English High school opposite the ground for all art and cultural activities.

I was going to Vasai after 2 decades so decided it was good time to catch up with friends. Our friends the Phatak's swished us to their home. It is so serene a village so close to Mumbai that no one wants to move out from there. For all the 30-35 years Phatak was working at Sachivalay with my father he did "up-down" in Mumbai parlance even though it was hard for him to commute. There are many Vasaikars like him. This area is culturally rich and blessed with natural beauty and has proximity to the sea. The denizens of Vasai village are proud of their heritage and have taken good care of it.

 The beautiful surroundings of Phatak's home. 

You see him plucking a magnolia for me. Incredibly sweet!

When I finally went to the venue we got to watch this power packed and invigorating dance, The Dangi Nitrya. It reminded me of my nephew's performance when he was a school boy on this same stage.

After couple of dances we were led to the venue of the Salad decoration competition. Participants started flowing in and started working on their carving and executing the idea. Kavita my friend and business associate was also invited to judge. We read the rules and set parameters accordingly for scoring.

As they worked we chatted them up on what they were creating and if they had prepared a few things and then brought to the venue. A few of them had done it. So we noted that obviously those who created everything from scratch at the venue scored more. A lady had made amazing tasting cooked corn n paneer salad but was not plated properly neither was there creativity in the decoration, so we told her how she needs to work on the decoration skills. There was one participant who made a quinoa salad with basil pesto but the pesto killed the salad. Also while she highlighted quinoa as healthy grain she used dyed desiccated coconut for decoration. The items used in decoration were not included in the tasting salad, that is not how it should be. One girl made colorful flowers in a lake theme which looked very pretty but the raita did not match the beauty in taste. Another had done excellent assembly of the salad but the carving was done at home. So she lost the chance to top the competition. After every event the results were announced and prizes awarded immediately. 

This was the top entry. Everything was done at the venue and the Mexican salsa tasted good too.

A big thank you to Archana Arte for inviting me for this mohotsav. Psst...You must watch her new show on Youtube 'Ruchkar Mejwani With Archana Karwar Special' 6th January onward every Friday!

After the event we decided to check out the Rangoli competition which was outstanding. Here are some of the most fascinating entries.

The most revolting rangoli for vegetarians and animal lovers. It was so real that I took a step back shocked by it. Yet I appreciate the amazing skill of the creator!

I wanted to feel that cloth!

Topical

This entry was totally awe inspiring and my most favorite!

With that signing off for this year on a very foodie note and see you in the new year. Hoping to bring you lots of entertainment through my blog and activities.

Wish you and yours a delicious food filled year ahead!

Dakshini or South Indian Pudis by Janaki Nagaraj #DecadeOfAnnaParabrahma

Janaki Nagaraj

She is a family friend, writer, dreamer and a passionate marathoner and fitness freak. She has hopped onto AnnaParabrahma Eshop to bring to us spice blends from her kitchen that get one hungry. Being a South Indian her specialities are the Dakshini pudis. 

We are introducing Rasam, Sambar, Bisibele bhaat, Garlic chutney and Pepper rasam pudis right now and more to follow. So watch this space. 

I am also inviting Janaki to write here so you get her authentic recipes too for these products.

Garlic Chutney Pudi

Bisibele Bhaat Pudi

Pepper Rasam Pudi

Sambar Pudi

#DecadeOfAnnaParabrahma

#DecadeOfAnnaParabrahma

#DecadeOfAnnaParabrahma 

Yes its 10 years since I began blogging while I was in Bangalore. Last year I did this 'Adda with Kalyan'. It sums up very well my journey as a blogger as we chat up with other regional bloggers.

The blog has been my place to pour my heart ever since I wrote the first post. It was my broadcast system for my family and friends. Readers followed and the anonymity of an alias allowed some speaking to the universe in those days.

In the early days it was fun to read other food blogs and make friends with Indian and a few non Indian bloggers across the globe. I have made some friends whom I treasure. Some made it a point to meet me when visiting India like P of Evolving Tastes , Manisha of Indian Food Rocks and Nupur of One Hot Stove. Among the bloggers from my birth city Mumbai Saee of My Jhola and author of Crumbs and Harini of Tongue Ticklers were the first who came to meet me when I wasn't well. Then IFBM 2014 happened and I met 40 bloggers from across the country. This continues and the most recent one I met is blogger buddy Kalyan Karmakar's (Finely Chopped) mother Mrs. Rekha Karmakar - Tabulous Mom.

What was started as a hobby has now become a full time business. AnnaParabrahma began as a blog. Then I started helping a women's group sell their Diwali Faral. There was a demand from readers and friends for Koli masala so started retailing it. After I left my job as Knowledge Manager for one of India's top IT services company it was only natural to use my experience to set up the Eshop www.annaparabrahma.com. 

This year we are moving from being a single brand shop to a multi-brand market place. We have signed up with Home Chefs to bring to you specialties from different communities and delicious signature creations. We have Parsi Pickles by Zenobia Schroff, Cookies by Bimba Nayak and South Indian spice blends by Janaki Nagaraj.

Some other interesting milestones :

• In the last couple of years I have enjoyed writing for India Food Network. 
• I do Experience with Me session on Koli cuisine, where I take the curious foodies on a Fish market tour followed by a cook and eat together.
• I was on television for the Mumbai episode of The Great Indian Rasoi with Chef Ranveer Brar.
• A Perfect Bite Studio does these Culinary Legacy Series for which I presented the Koli Cuisine.

On the personal front the blog has seen me move from Bangalore back home to Navi Mumbai and marriage brought me back to Mumbai, the city of my birth. It has documented my life as a single working woman to a married woman. A life full of learning and passion for staying happy no matter what.

#DecadeOfAnnaParabrahma is a long time and looking back brings up a multitude of memories. We will continue to celebrate through the year. Won't you join in?

AnnaParabrahma Ties Up With Home Chefs

We are happy to announce that with your patronage we have done well and now plan to widen our product range.

As part of our expansion plan, we are is tying up with home chefs to bring to you specialties from different communities. You will find delicacies from Pathare Prabhu, Bengali, Parsi communities available soon on the Eshop.

It is the season of Gaboli or Fish roe and who better than Zinobia Schroff can make this seasonal delicacy. GARAB NU ACHAAR is just a click away. Order it now while the stocks last.

http://www.annaparabrahma.com/Zinobia-Schroff/Garab-Nu-Achaar-200gms-id-2553537.html

Catch me on the Mumbai Episode of The Great Indian Rasoi 2

 Koli episode

I am assuming you read about my exciting experience on the making of the Mumbai Episode of The Great Indian Rasoi 2. Sharing here the video.

The link is now available on Living foods
https://livingfoodz.com/episodes/the-great-indian-rasoi-2-3-episode-3-mumbai-s-unique-cuisine-335


Suranga Date has written an ode to the episode, a poem for the smashing Chef Ranveer Brar and one for me too!

तेलात चकाकले शुभ्र कांदे , हळूहळू झाले सोने , जणू मावशीन्च्या नाकी चमके साग्रर मोत्याची नथ; फटाकड्या हिरव्या मिरच्या तुटून पडती त्याञ्च्यावर , आणि कुणा एका ब्रारला ठसका लागताच, मावशी मान डोलवून , गळ्यातलं चाचपडून, टीव्ही क्यामेरा कडे बघून "अगोबाय !" हसू पडे … अंजलीचा हात लागताच "इश्श, मी येतच होते…" म्हणत स्वतःला त्यात झोकून देणारी वांगी , स्वादात डुंबत आतुरतेने चिंब कोळीमची वाट बघणारे सगळे , कोळी मसाल्याच्या होडीच्या तवा वापसीचा अपूर्व जल्लोष; आणि मग कोवळ्या पण जबाबदार हिरव्या कान्दापातीचे आगमन , आणि त्यांचे बोट धरून हट्टाने टीव्ही वर आलेले कोकम . सर्वांवरी एक झाकण , आसमंतात मावशीनचा फुललेला चेहरा, एक दणदणीत वाफ झाके मावशीनचा चष्मा. गोड तांदुळाचे वडे वाट बघती कोळीमची, परवानगीसाठी बघती अन्जलीकडे . आणि कोळी बांधवांचे अदरातिथ्य बघूंन अन्जलीचे कौतुक करून ब्रार भारावून जातो, आणि देवा  खंडोबा समाधानाने सागराकडे एक दूर कटाक्ष टाकत म्हणतात , "मी अनेकदा टीव्ही वर आलो रे , पण सर्वाना घेउन अंजली आली ,फार छान वाटलं !"

White onion slivers glistening in hot oil, with a tinge of  pale polished  gold, like the Pearly nosering adorning Mavshee's nose;   Item number mirchis rushing in all cut up and  doing their stuff, causing a Brar to cough, and a Mavshee to nod and crack up, quickly adjust her necklace, and surprise the camera with a heartfelt "Agobaya!".... And the brinjals, falling on to the tawa at the slightest Anjolian nudge, waiting and sizzling for the tiny shrimp,  inebriated with water. The celebrated Tawa Wapasi of the Koli Masala, spicing and saffronizing it all, and they agitate and stir as streaks and cuts  of green onion, lugging some Kokam  enter the scene.  A great cooking  behind closed lids, steaming and tearing, and the shrimp are done amidst a  clouding  of the specs of a Mavshi  checking it out  and waiting for it all... A thrilling welcome from Sweet Rice Wadas impatient to hold close the shrimp masala. And as the Brar sits, biting into  the wada and the shrimp, overcome  with the Koli Hospitality, the resplendent Khandoba watching it all, looks at a shining sea in the distance, and says, " You know what, I've been on TV many times, but this one with Anjali and friends is special indeed !".....

I am so happy about the rave response the episode has received from the audience.Would love to hear what you think about it.

 Have fun!

Watch me on The Great Indian Rasoi 2, Mumbai Episode on LIVING FOODZ Channel

Date and Time of broadcast : 16th Sep 2015, Wednesday at 9.30 pm

With : Chef Ranveer Brar

Presented Recipe: Sukka Kolim, Vanga ani Ool / Shrimps with brinjal and spring onions

Story: Chef Ranveer is a traveler exploring different cuisines across India. He meets me at the Khandoba temple at Colaba. I take him into the temple to partake in the Pooja. He is curious to know the unusual deity and the history of the temple. Then we cook together a breakfast of Sukka Kolim Vanga ani Ool and serve it with Goad ghari. After cooking we share the meal with the community.

Shooting Experience:

It all began on 1 Dec when Rubeena from Zee Khana Khazana now LIVING FOODZ messaged me to send my co-ordinates, after a brief discussion on phone the next thing I knew was the following Sunday we were doing the recce of Colaba Koliwada together. We checked out many a kitchen but were unsatisfied with them. All of them were modern ones and the traditional Koli kitchen was lost to time in Colaba Koliwada. Rubeena took a lot of pictures to show to her team and we agreed on an open air kitchen setup as an alternative.

A rough plan was up on what we would want to showcase in the episode. I was told the shoot was on the 13th, a Saturday just 2 days ahead. This was not the most suitable day as there was an engagement in the community and the entire community was expected to go for it in bus-fulls outside Colaba, leaving it deserted. Inspite of it I took courage and talked to a lot of the community members. They were not really happy with the date as they were not going to change their plans of attending the engagement for this shoot. I had jitter bugs.

On Friday, a day prior to the shoot I decided to camp at Colaba to set up things. I ordered the veggies in the Colaba Market and collected ingredients required for the shoot. Gajanan Godkhav an old friend of my family stood by me. We spent that entire evening convincing the Bhagat or Koli pujari to stay back from the engagement and be available for the shoot. I am extremely thankful to Devendra Koli for the wonderful support he provided. He proclaimed, "I am there with you. We will try our best to make it a success!" Since none of the young women were going to be around I had given up hope on any dance sequence to be include in the story.

That night, at 1.30 am, mid December there was a rain storm, completely un-seasonal in Mumbai. Nature had gone wild and the breeze was roaring through trembling trees. I was at Sudarshan Dheer Kaka's home that faces the sea, we both woke up and stared outside. We were shaken to the bones. I wondered how the shooting would be possible the next day. Dheer kaka calmed me down saying the storm will subside by morning. He said it will go away the way it had come. After an hour the storm did calm down and we fell back in bed to catch a few winks before the next day dawned.

Then in the morning Rubeena called to tell they had started from Andheri, that assured me, they were a determined lot and the shooting was to happen as planned.

They reached the Khandoba temple which was our chosen location for the shoot and asked me to reach there too. I went to pick up the green veggies for the shoot and broke my chappal in the market. Fortunately there was a cobbler who did a swell job that morning. The Zee Khana Khazana (now LIVING FOODZ) team had set themselves up. I was a little late, Chef Ranveer saw me and received me with the warmest hug. After exchanging our greetings, He clicked and tweeted this picture of us just before we started our day.

I was only slightly nervous. I wanted to know if they had a script and asked Ranveer about it. Tusshar the creative director gave me the brief of the storyline. Ranveer insisted that we should not discuss further as he wanted to keep the spontaneity intact and enjoy my responses to his curious questions too!  

I was already beginning to like Ranveer, down-to-earth and lovable. He smiled through the entire shoot of 4 hrs and that put me to ease. Whenever the team asked for a retake, Ranveer lead me appropriately to make it easy for me and so that it did not look like a clip off. He nudged me to look straight at him and not bother about the camera.

The funniest moment: 

Was when we added green chilies to the oil, the pungent odor got straight up my nostrils while the tall and handsome chef kept stirring it with elan. We had all the people surrounding us, who were watching the shoot coughing out and followed by ripples of laughter. The cameras were happy capturing it!

The charged moment:

After the pooja when the group called out Jai Malhar! Sadananda cha Yelkot!!

The magical moment:

When Devendra started playing the dhol and the Aajis and Maushis who were sitting on the OTi of the Darbar started singing songs spontaneously. The atmosphere was like a wedding and I coaxed the women to do the ritual dance. The Aajis threw their walking sticks away and began to move gracefully in circles. I danced for the first time in my life to Koli songs and beat of the dhol. Ranveer joined them and the whole environment was filled with high energy. Personally this was the magical moment for me. It was a feeling of becoming one with your roots, a heady feeling.

The moment of calm:

Later when we sat down to eat with the community Ranveer asked me the meaning of AnnaParabrahma which is Food is Supreme. I explained how, the sanskar we give to food is what the food makes us irrespective of whether it is veg or non veg food. At this point, Ranveer was calm and almost meditative. That moment I discovered the real Ranveer and understood why he is this much loved and respected Chef Ranveer Brar!

Ranveer's comments on the recipe: 

Ahaan! I am not telling here you must watch it on TV :)

Devendra said, "Kolim tagda banlay!"

Overall a fun experience with a very easy going team that is Zee Khana Khazana now LIVING FOODZ, Rubeena, Tusshar, Ambika, Jatin, George and everyone who was part of the shoot.

The certificate of appreciation and an autograph by Chef Ranveer Brar

Why you must watch the show:

1. To know the history of the Kolis
2. What their busy and risk filled lifestyle is like.
3. To see me dance for the first time in my life to Koli songs and dhol beats with all the Aajis and Maushis.
4. To watch how Malhari Martand or Khandoba is worshiped in this Darbar. 

If that is not enough...
5. To watch me cook and present the recipe with Chef Ranveer Brar!

Post script:

Good I did not know about Ranveer's achievements before the shoot. I had chanced on his blog, The food fables while I was trying to learn about him a few days before the shoot which I loved a lot for his deep thinking on the technicalities of food. What came across to me and touched me most is his spiritual outlook towards food and life. After the shoot I started browsing through his official site, www.ranveerbrar.com and it gave me goosebumps when it dawned on me that I have cooked with Chef Ranveer Brar who has a huge body of work and prestigious recognition and awards behind him.

That is the secret of his greatness, he is a young achiever but carries it lightly and is rooted to the ground. My wishes are with him however it is his giving nature that will bring him a lot of success and fame. God bless!

Ceremonial Opening of AnnaParabrahma Eshop

The AnnaParabrahma Eshop on the web

A New Year And A New Start!

Dear Readers, Patrons and Friends,

A warm welcome to the AnnaParabrahma Eshop!

We are thrilled to announce the opening of the much awaited Eshop on our own domain 

www.annaparabrahma.com

Explore the Eshop, pick up and order your favorite products now!

*The first 10 orders get a special gift from us*

Enjoy your shopping...

Anjali & The AnnaParabrahma Team

The AnnaParabrahma Eshop on FB

The story :

You have watched the metamorphosis of the blog and the FB page, I am sure you expected some change. It was slow and and over a period of 3 months the Eshop was built. Did you note that the old page was gone? and a new tab 'AnnaParabrahma Eshop' was added, on click it directed to www.annaparabrahma.com

Some features

1. Ease of shopping while browsing from your desktop.

2. Payment gateway with payment options like PayUMoney, Paypal and Bank transfers.

3. Logistic services by FEDEX and Gati.

4. Facebook store to shop while you stay connected with friends.

I take the opportunity to thank the people who made this day possible.

Snigdha Manchanda of Tea Trunk who recommended Zepo (the hosting service) to me on a FB group that we both are part of.

Sudarshan Dheer Kaka (the grandmaster of Corporate communications in India) for all the guidance in branding. The new AnnaParabrahma logo is his creation. Simple and classic.

Reva Hart my dear friend and sister for doing a sincere testing of the new address and functionalities.

And

Deepa Kulkarni for the first order thru www.annaparabrahma.com

The blogger buddies who ordered immediately on Go Live of the site, Madhuli, Deeba and Chandhana. They shared pictures of their buys and talked about their customer experience with friends and family. I appreciate the fraternity's support a lot!

Not for nothing it is said, "It takes a village to make dreams come true!"

My First Time In A Commercial Kitchen

and other stories of the second day at the Four Points by Sheraton at Vashi.

Views of Vashi from the Comfort Suite

My second day of stay was planned to be exciting! 

I was informed that my request for an experience in the Commercial Kitchen was accepted by the Executive Chef Mukul Jha and yet another bumper, Four Points was hosting a dinner for us!

I slept like a baby cuddled in the super soft bed and in the perfectly controlled ambient atmosphere through the night. I woke up and drew back the curtains, the suite overlooked Vashi, it was bathed in the morning sun and suddenly it looked better than a mere concrete jungle, we could now see the creek in the clear morning.

I decide to take a luxurious bath in the huge bathroom and soak in the tub much like a Maharani! Oh wasn't the research done for Lyril soap from the yesteryears say that a woman's own place is the bathroom and she even goes off into her own dreamland singing La~La la, la ~La la la~ La ~la ~la. Well the result was good, I stepped out truly rejuvenated!

So much that the bed was inviting me right back to curl up under the warm covers and rest on those soft excessive pillows. But then the hunger pangs got me rushing down for breakfast to the Asian Kitchen. While there Exe. Chef Mukul Jha met up and discussed what I wanted to cook later along with him. I said something quick and enjoyable, something I can share with my beloved readers. We froze on a dish which would be colorful, appetizing, wholesome Italian. Chef Mukul surprised me when he stressed that it would be *veg*. The information about me being a strict vegetarian had been cascaded to the team and they never faltered after the pancake incident.

After lolling around some I got a call that the chef was ready for me to go to the kitchen. We walked past the show kitchen into narrow paths passing several pantries and storerooms. Thru a maze of shiny kitchen counters to our work area for the day. The Chef had got the meze ready and introduced the ingredients that we were to work with. Nisha Saran from the F&B was with us and she arranged for an apron and a toque for me. I was trying to suppress my mounting excitement. 

With Executive Chef Mukul Jha, me adorned an apron and toque !

We began by marinating the slices of cottage cheese. Then seasoned the pan with oil and then seared the slices. As I watched I realized that these guys cooked in flat pans and on very high heat. The high heat acted like a flash in extracting the flavors and aromas of the ingredients. After pan searing the cottage cheese we put it on a greased tray along with marinated beetroot slices and put it in the oven to bake at 150 degrees for 7-8 mins so that the fats from searing evaporated. 

Meanwhile we heated the pan and got frying the onions and garlic. Chef Mukul was moving fast and I meddled in between to stir the seasoning and mostly watch him. I realized that working in a commercial kitchen is intimidating when you try to handle the slightly larger pans and ladles that you are not used to handling but the kind chef was very encouraging and said it was only a matter of practice, which I agree. Once the semolina was cooked we tasted it and kept it aside. Then we made the Ratatouille, the veg were diced to perfection as is expected of a hotel kitchen. When ever Ratatouille is cooked the topic of the movie has to come up and the chef scorned at it! both of us ended up laughing aloud. As we cooked I was absorbing the techniques the chef used and benefited a lot from him. A key thing is we kept tasting through the steps we followed making sure everything was salted right and cooked to perfection. This is something we never do at home as we offer Naivedhya to God.

Finally we were ready with all components of the meal and were ready to plate. Before we did it the chef heated up everything and then carefully showcased his finesse in plating a beautiful meal. Though I was more of a observer I felt equally proud of the way the dish had turned out and how Chef had plated it. While we were at it Nisha was taking countless pictures of us in action and would you believe it just when I was to take the camera in hand to click some shots of the Grand finale, the plated dish; the battery died on us!

The thrill of cooking in the kitchen of Four Points, Vashi

Quickly got the staff to charge up the battery until we went looking for a perfect spot and lighting in the Asian Kitchen to shoot the plated meal.

The final strokes of artistry

So as a reward for reading patiently about my adventure, here is the recipe. Tadah!

What's the Dish?

Herbs and garlic crusted cottage cheese.
Served with Semolina Mash and Ratatouille.
Finished with Beetroot chips, Balsamic reduction & Parmesan crisp

Portions : 4 

Ingredients

600 gms Cottage cheese
110 gms peeled garlic
4 gms Rosemary
4 gms Thyme
4 gms Basil
90 ml Olive oil / EVOO
110 gms Semolina
60 gms Onion
60 gms sliced Olives
10 gms chili flakes
120 gms bell peppers
120 gms zucchini
120 gms brinjals
150 gms Tomato Concasse
60 gms Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 no Beetroot
6 sprigs of parsley
15 ml Balsamic reduction

Preparation

Cut out 12 pieces of cottage cheese in triangles. Marinate the cottage cheese with 1/4 of the amount of garlic, herbs and keep aside.

The semolina mash : Heat a pan. Add 30 ml of Olive oil. Saute chopped garlic, onions, olives (I used black) till light brown. Add the semolina saute till toasty and follow in with salt, black pepper and chili flakes. Add 250 ml of hot water. Stir till thickened and cooked. Remove the pan from heat and keep aside.

The Ratatouille : In a new pan add 20 ml of Olive oil. When the oil is heated saute the garlic till nicely browned and aromatic along with a little onion. Now add to it brinjal, bell peppers, zucchini and give it a stir. Cook and then add tomato Concasse and seasoning to the mix. Remove from heat when done until soft.

Now pan sear marinated cottage cheese and bake in the oven at 150 degrees celcius for 7 to 8 mins.

Slice the beetroot thinly and season with Olive oil and salt and bake for 3-4 mins.

The oven helps to evaporate the oil from the cottage cheese and gives wonderful browned edges. Once you see those and the beetroot slices are cooked yet crunchy, remove from the oven.

To make the parmesan cheese crisp, grate parmesan cheese and melt it on a non stick pan. Remove from heat and let it cool and firm up. Cut out 4 triangles from the round.

Plating 

In a plate layout the beetroot chips in a circle or semicircle. On top ladle out the semolina mash. Top it with 3 pieces of cottage cheese. Above it layer the Ratatouille mix.

Garnish with parmesan crisp, basil and parsley. I did not have parmesan on hand so I grated just a little bit of cheese over it and stuck in a fried basil leaf.

I recreated that meal in my own kitchen and I think I was able to achieve a very close remake in taste but need to work on my plating skills a bit. Like Chef Mukul said practice makes perfection.

How would you rate me Chef Mukul? and how would you rate me readers?

An enormous thanks to Chef Mukul and the entire Four Points team who made this experience memorable for me!

How was the taste?

Its an Italian meal that Indians will love, a complete balanced meal. It tasted absolutely delicious each morsel different. The semolina mash has olives so it was salty, The cottage cheese beautifully crisp on the edge and garlicky. The Ratatouille was of course with notes of basil, thyme, rosemary and garlic. The beetroot chips like the salad. The balsamic reduction like the chutney or a palette cleanser. I loved it as I ate this portion and felt satiated and did not even crave for a dessert.

My Sky grill story will have to be yet another post...

The Great Indian Food Bloggers Meet 2014: Day 1

It has taken me two weeks to recover from #IFBM2014 and the magical experience!

Meeting the bloggers in person after knowing some of them over years, I mean almost 8 years! Learning quite a bit from experience sharing sessions to professional sessions and cooking Master classes. There is so much to share with you, my readers and will do it day-wise as it happened at the meet, while I relive those moments and put it down here to go back to the sweet memories later.

It began in June, when Arundati (Escapades) introduced the idea of a Bloggers meet to me on chat. I was then thinking well, its been 2.5 yrs since I visited BLR and this will be a good reason to go back. I was naive to think it will be like a re-union or I mean first-union of online friends, you know what I mean eat, talk and have fun. OR that it would be like the Business conferences that I have been so used to, everyone sells their gyan and wares and goes back home smiling, I feared this though.

Boy! I was wrong. Arundati had teamed up with Aparna (My Diverse Kitchen), Revati (Hungry & Excited) and Nandita (Saffron Trail). We loving call them the Fab4 now and they got a huge applause and numerous hugs for outdoing themselves in giving us bloggers this experience that we will cherish for many years to come.

As I prepped for my trip, there was a  news flash saying there would be a Bandh in Karnataka on 31st July. Ha! exciting start I thought, as I winced. I landed is BLR to find the city's airport quite and Vayu Vajra had changed colors from the flaming red to a calming green, I'm talking about the airport bus service. In an hour of a pleasant, traffic free ride the polite conductor dropped me at the Domlur bus stand. I dragged my bags to Aranha homes which was just around.

After hugs and kisses with Deeba, Madhuli and Sanjeeta who were already there I knew I was in good company. Then walked in Harini (we had met before in Mumbai), Jayashree and few more. There was non stop chatter, inquiring about  each others families and pets like old friends do, it did not seem like we had just met. It was the beginning of the riotous nights we had at Aranha. Sanjeeta, who had taken on the duty of organizing our stay there paid personal attention to everyone's comfort and we had to tell her to just chill.

The first day at IFBM began with meeting the 40 participants. Known names were put faces to and before we knew Arundati took her position as the mistress of the mic and welcomed the participants and opened the Conference. The general manager of our venue welcomed all the guests and told us to ask for anything we needed and that there was only a YES in his dictionary. Wow!

The opening session was by a name that most bloggers are in awe of, Deeba Rajpal, she talked on her forte, Food-O-graphy. Generously tipped us on going seasonal,  looking for beauty in props that don't cost the moon and using the same props to different effect, keeping the palette neat yet artistic, using ingredients along with finished dishes. Some tips to lift up the spirits of the food using some tricks to make them look freshest and if the food demand steaming hot, then what to do. Did I hear the bloggers drool over her collection of props or what when she projected a final shot on the screen!

That set the tone for the next session on food photography by Aparna Balasubramanian. We all love her pictures clean and bright.She acknowledged how food styling and food photography go hand in. It was great to see the different styles in photography as in Deeba's and Aparna's. One moody one bright. We love both. Aparna's session was a fundamental one for a food blogger. The tips to look for light and shadows and how to beat them to our advantage. While on reflectors Harini who is also a wonderful photographer shared that wearing a white T-shirt is a great idea when shooting the pictures. We Indians love our steel and metals and some times its just plain convenient to shoot a food picture in the utensil that you use daily. I have always been worried about them outshining the food in the pictures, you know what I mean. Well its simple said Aparna, just apply toothpaste on the surfaces to rid them of extra shine. Through the session she reminded us to read the manual well, to get to know the camera after all visuals are so important to a food blog.

In walked a red turban, initially I thought he is trying to be funny but he was plain talking down to participants and that was totally uncalled for! Not one blogger liked his attitude. During the demo, we were left thinking if he had ever used some of the KitchenAid's products. One of our fabulous bloggers had to help out with the cordless hand blender. Another moment of revelation was when he said the tomatoes were blanched and later said they were fire roasted and deskinned. From my experience in food I could tell that they were blanched from a distance of a few feet! He made the Kaer Sangri roti which was lovely and flaky but the Tchaman Kut or paneer balls in tomato sauce showed that it was hurriedly put together, I blame it on that time bound demo. However the tomatoes should have been bhunoed, the blanched tomatoes did not work in that gravy. He even dropped the tomatoes on the counter and messed for which he needed the sous chef to clean, I can understand performing in front of 40 India's best food bloggers can be a lot of pressure sometimes. Just Kidding, for Chef Surjan Singh has a Jolly good sense of humor.

Both the recipes of Tchaman Kut and Kaer Sangri Roti are on Burrp, the online partners for IFBM2014.

The winners of the pre-Meet KitchenAid contest were awarded after this 'Master class' and they took home the mini choppers. I missed it and was hoping to win waiting for further announcement of the results of  rest of the contests.

During the Master Class there was a rush around the workstation and many could not see what was going on. The hospitality guys wheeled in a platform so the ones behind could jump on to it and get a clear view of the cooking. I would like to mention here a Thank you! for Team Aloft for providing service perceptively.

Post lunch Nandita Iyer shared her user perspective about social media for food bloggers. She is one food blogger who uses social media very effectively to market her blog and beyond. Archana pitched in with her experience too. I am ashamed to say that I do not use social media to my own advantage even though I am a social media specialist (besides many other things) who has done considerable corporate work, now that's changing for sure and I hope you are noticing it, I know you are as we interact more on the AnnaParaBrahma FB page and twitter @AnnaParaBrahma. Keep that going and show me more love please!

Wine appreciation, one of the things that has fascinated me. I had waited until that moment when I would learn a few things about wine and taste it too. As a food blogger I did not want to say no to this experience. Aneesh Bhasin of Hipcask did a wonderful job on explaining to us about the different wines, about serving them in the right glasses, he demoed the swirl, the gurgle and the happiness of pulling out the stopper and every one had a whopper! We were served a lovely rose wine all the participants agreed. Alas, I found out that I did not have a taste for wine.

After this, the schedule said the launch of the 'Spice Sorcery' by Husna Rahaman. The lady walked in stylishly late. We were educated about a book written by her grandmother and except Deeba  none of us had heard about. (Since Deeba was supposed to be interviewing the author and had read a pdf of the Spice Sorcery even after all our naughtiness at Aranha the previous night.) The author talked how easily she had got the book deal, no how it had fallen into her lap and how wonderful a book it is for us (mere) food bloggers. After the session I went and personally congratulated our Deeba for being a wonderfully prepared interviewer and being totally professional at the given task. Every author out there should know that when you face your audience who just might convert to being your reader, you just cannot take them casually. There was no hard copy nor e-book that was even shown to the bloggers. There was no reading of excerpts that we would have loved to listen to. It's a lost opportunity to make your mark when you have a room full of bloggers from across the country and a few from other continents sitting and listening to you and you don't do anything for them. Team Harper Collins are you listening?

That was the end of the first day. I want to conclude this post with the wonderful experience we had with Aloft Cessna Park, Bangalore. When Mr. Faiz Alam Ansari, GM welcomed us in the morning to the venue on behalf of his team, one would have thought it to be customary. By the end of Day 1 we were already spoilt by the pampering of Team Aloft. They had planned theme based food for the two days.

Our first tea was dramatic as the name suggest, "Honey I love you". Tall beehives, cave shaped cake buzzing with bees, petite glasses of desserts, tarts, pastries, cup cakes and little pots of creme brulee all made with honey became a hive for the buzzing blogger bees. My most favorite was a truffle that bursted into the mouth and honey oozed out with a bite.

The lunch was 'Mumbai mela' complete with cuts-outs of Hritik and Shah rukh and Ganapati Bappa too! Bhel basket on a cycle and carts vending chaats, vada pao, ragda pattice and a corner for Gola and Kulfi Falooda. Majority of the bloggers were non Mumbaikars and I could see the glee on their faces. I did selective eating and slurped on my fave Kala khatta gola.



For the evening tea it was "Bengali Adda" There was Ghoti gorom, Alu kabuli, Jhal mudi, Kathi rolls, Tele Bhaja, Momos and Thupka. People were raving about the Thupka. I was too full from the morning and afternoon so I just had a Jhal mudi, the splash of mustard exciting my taste buds. It was end of the day almost and I missed clicking pictures of this spread as I was tired.

Aloft is a fabulous venue the colorful modern decor cheers you up as soon as you spot it from the posh glass walled reception. As you enter and look up you are filled with glee of standing under a Yellow and black Cessna hanging from the ceiling that you see ^ up above in this post. You get into the lift and want to dance on the liquid tiles. Walking past huge colorful bean bags, a pool table and yet another large model of a Cessna on the first floor. We did that many times in two days. Enjoying the hospitality...

Come back again to read about Day 2, won't you?