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About Me

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Am a contradiction of sorts. i love going out and having a good time with friends, and i can also stay home chill out over a book or a movie.. Am very passionate about writing, so give me a topic and watch me float away into wonderland... I Am crazy about music,books,friends and my doggie... :)

Saturday, November 9, 2019

We have a new address



Change is always good... right?Well, I have finally taken the plunge, thanks to a dear friend and made that big move The domain had been registeredThe thoughts and ideas were in place. It was just a matter of moving... 

You can read my food views, reviews, recipes and more on 

https://www.aartikrishnakumar.com/category/food/

                        Come over, have a cup of tea and let me know your thoughts...  

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Utsav at Hamsa, till 29th Oct...


The Table set up...

The lamps used as the main feature point

Napkin held in place with a bangle

The Utsav Menu

Gulab jamun  

The Starters -
Sabudhana moongphalli thalipeeth;
kuttu aur paneer ki kachori;
shakarkandi tuk chaat;
singhare aloo tikki

The mains- Kuttu alu parantha, puri, Mathura Aloo, Vrat ka pulao
[Saamai with nuts & spices]
Three gravies- Paneer shahi gulabi; dahiwale singhare ki subzi; annanas ki subzi
The Desserts - Sitaphal basundi & Mewa ki kheer [with Makhanas]
During Navaratri period [9 days], most families refrain from having onion and garlic in their food. Infact, for me it is quite the norm as 99% of the time, the food at home is made this way, heck I cook it this way. Very rarely will I add garlic or onions to a dish, and even if I do, there would be a smaller portion without it reserved for gramma [ she stopped eating onions and garlic decades ago]. And so, Sattvic food [ it is the kind that is light, made with simple ingredients and easy on the body] is nothing new. But then when I heard there was a Utsav festival happening at Hamsa, and saw the copy of the menu, I was intrigued. Most of the dishes were made with ingredients I had tried outside Chennai. 

Off I went with a friend in tow to explore this menu for lunch. Would like to make a mention that Rakesh Raghunathan has curated this menu.. It incorporates ingredients that are not too commonly used in TN. The dishes were also gluten-free,  nutritionally balanced and light on the stomach(?)... Most of the dishes were traditional ones from across the country, mainly originating from  Maharashtra, UP, Bengal, Jharkhand and Gujarat..

This was the 2nd visit to Hamsa, the 1st time was around when they had just launched. I remember enjoying the food and thinking it is a good option for those looking for veg food and a lovely ambiance. The decor is lovely, tad dark but very plush. The cutlery and serving ware are all quite rich, adding to the feel of the place. Not surprising considering the brand belongs to Sukra Jewellers, who are known to have a keen eye for detail and design.  And then the food, well, it is yummilicious alright, courtesy Chef Robi Roy who's been there since inception..  From the minute you walk into the building, the wall with the huge birdcages behind them, to the dark interiors of the restaurant, you are enthralled and curious... The place does not let you down.. 

Infact, when I was invited to be a part of the Jury for The Week's top 10 restaurants in Chennai, Hamsa was on everyone's list and there were no doubts they deserved a spot there... 

At the Utsav festival menu, some of the dishes stood out for me- the Dahiwale Singhare ki sabzi [water chestnut gravy], Annanas ki sabzi [pineapple gravy], Kuttu alu parantha [buckwheat flour flat bread] and Sitaphal Basundhi [ Custard apple basundhi]. While the other dishes were also good,  the one dish that was sweet & heavy was the Paneer Shahi Gulabi [ probably cos of the creamy base and rose essence that had been blended in]

But then, I knew my gramma would love this food- it was right up her alley, the different flavours, textures, and the biggest selling point being "no onion no garlic".... So, if you are curious about what Vrat food is all about, and haven't been to Hamsa, this is a good time to visit... Utsav by Hamsa is on till 29th October and these Vrat dishes can be ordered along with dishes from the a la carte menu as well.. 

Meal for two - Rs 1,500 + approx

Address:
Hamsa 40, 
B. Ramachandra Adithanar Road [ past Gandhinagar club & Mun veedu, straight down the road]
Gandhinagar, 
Adyar 600020. 
044 24459999


Disclaimer: The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember these were just my views!! Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

EAT, all about home chefs...

A food delivery app.. 
So, whats different you ask?
Well, this one is food from one home to another...
Yes, you read it right..
EAT, the new app is all about connecting home chefs with hungry souls... 
A new delivery app, whole new concept that makes a start in Chennai city,
all thanks to Arun Bhaktavatsalam & his team/crew... 

Right now there are 12 home chefs on board and another 25 should be on by the end of this week. And with time, there are bound to be more home chefs who make it possible for others in the city to try their home cooked food. 

All you do is download the app, enter the locality,  scroll through the list of home chefs available in your locality/3km radius, order and wait for hot food to arrive at your doorstep. These guys have their own fleet, so delivery is taken care of by them. Infact, Arun was saying that down the road they hope to be servicing the enter city, and delivery time would be under 30mins..

They vouch for the quality of food and the kitchen, plus FSSAI License, which means the food being sent out is of the best quality...  So next time, hunger strikes give this app a shot.... 

There was an event to launch the app on Sunday which also featured about 9-10 stalls by home chefs, showcasing their dishes , giving the audience a chance to sample what they were in for... 

Here is a video from the launch- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdEkm7LcS4M


For details, visit: www.eatalltime.com





















Thursday, September 26, 2019

Solkadhi... the drink!




I had seen images and posts on this, but never really thought too much about it. Infact, going by its name- Solkadhi, I kinda assumed it was part of the Kadhi family [ the curd based dish that is made both in north & south and eaten with rice].. 

During my recent trip to Goa, a friend asked for Solkadhi at a hotel, but they did not have stock.. And that is when my curiosity got piqued and I wanted to taste this, especially upon discovering it was a drink, specific to that region. 

The moment came when we were getting back to Bombay from Goa.. We had stopped at Kamat for a break, and that is when I sipped my 1st Solkadhi... Loved it, so much so that we had a 2nd one as well. It was pink in colour, which I attributed to Kokum, and was packed with flavour- garlic to whole bunch of other spices.. Since I love kokum [ my very 1st taste of this tangy fruit was during my 1st trip to Goa], I loved this drink as well... I was told this particular version we had was from a packet and the home made ones are even better... 

Wikipedia says
"Popular in Goa and the Maharashtra's coastal region, it is made from coconut milk and kokum, also known as Aamsol or Aamsul. It is the dried fleshy skin of a fruit called Garcinia indica, deep purple-pink in color, full of antioxidants that the pigment anthocyanins provide{{citation needed}}. Garcinia indica, or Kokum, owing to the presence of a high concentration of anthocyanins, is a great antioxidant that works like an anticarcinogenic and anti-aging agent. It is known for its digestive, refreshing, cleansing and cooling properties. The preparation is prepared from liquid extracted from fresh coconut known as coconut milk; however, nowadays you can also get this extracted milk in TetraPak. The coconut milk so obtained is usually mixed with kokum, a little bit of salt and/or chili-garlic paste is added for taste and enhancing the probiotic contents."

Look forward to exploring more local cuisine on my next trip...



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