Vijaya Forum Mall- The Food Court - Sbarro

This was my 2nd or 3rd visit to Vijaya Forum mall, and 2nd visit to the Food court. The 1st time I was here with a friend and her son, we headed straight to Sbarro grabbed a few pizza slices and were on our way.  But this time, I was here to explore more than just this outlet, to see what more was in store in the Food court. I spotted ID, Moti Mahal Delux, Sammysosa, Kailash Parbhat and few other outlets. 

The 1st place to try was once again Sbarro. But this time, the pizza was hot and the crust was super thin and crisp. I tried the veggie feast slice while the boys dug into the super spicy Chicken Keema pizza. It was a good pizza, not soggy, not overloaded with tomato sauce. 

Apart from the pizza slices, we were also given two kinds of garlic breads. One was mini garlic rolls which resembled croissants and the other one was Garlic bread, long soft melt in the mouth bread. It was served with a different kind of tomato sauce, that was cooked with herbs and spices. 

The veg pizza slices are priced between Rs120 and Rs135 while non veg goes upto Rs170. They also serve pasta and soft drinks. So, if you are not ravenous and looking for a good option, then Sbarro is where you should head. 

Wait, this is not all we sampled. We also got to try food from other outlets... keep watching this space to read about them...


Address:
Vijaya Forum Mall
183 NSK Salai, Arcot Road | Vadapalani, Chennai 600026
Right next to Green park and Vijaya Hospital

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-) 

[Recipe] Tawa pulao

Last evening while out walking, suddenly it hit me.. I knew what I was going to make for lunch today [monday]. I quickly walked across towards More supermarket and bought what I needed. I had seen and tasted this dish at Spoonbill when Kamalika made it, so there was no confusion on the process. What was I making? Tawa Pulao ofcourse :D

Here is what you need:-
1 cup Rice 1 tbsp – Oil 1/2 tsp – Cumin seeds 1/4 Onion chopped 1 Garlic pod 1 cup Mixed vegetables - Yellow capsicum, red capsicum, baby corn - all chopped into chunks 2 tsp – Pav bhaji masala 1/2tsp - curry powder Salt- to taste Mint leaves/coriander leaves Water to cook the rice and boil baby corn
Other Options for vegetables: Peas, cauliflower, paneer, and just about anything you can think of.

The process:
1. Take a pressure cooker and cook the rice [1cup rice =3 cups water- 4 whistles]- turn off stove and set aside I placed the baby corn in a plate along with the rice and cooked it. 2. In a pan, add oil, jeera, garlic and onion. Once sauted, add remaining vegetables and the masala powder & curry powder. Let it cook till the raw smell of masala goes away. Add required amount of salt and let it cook. 3. Add the cooked baby corn to this and saute for a minute. Now add the rice and spread it amidst the veg mix and cook for 2-3 minutes till it evenly mixes.
Voila.. Serve with curd, pappad or onion raita. I had it with boiled beetroot and curd.

PS: Am using pictures taken at Spoonbill because today I forgot to take pictures as hunger had taken over my brain.. :-)

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Serves: 2

[Recipe] Quick Fix Pasta

I had been busy cleaning up the house, and other chores that it completely slipped my mind that I had to cook lunch. Only when I was talking to a friend who mentioned she was just winding up lunch did it hit me.  Walked into the kitchen knowing I had only a few items there..

An idea formed in my head and within 25 mins Lunch was ready. What did I make? A Quick fix pasta with the ingredients in my cupboards.

Ingredients:
Pasta - penne- 1 cup
Garlic- 1 pod crushed
Cabbage- few leaves finely chopped
Beans- cut lengthwise [1 inch long pieces]
Capsicum- 1/4- finely chopped
Baby corn- 3- finely chopped
Almonds or walnuts- 4 to 5 chopped up
Pesto sauce- 1 tsp
Sundried tomatoes- 1
Olive oil- 2tsp
Cheese- 1 small piece
Salt- to taste

The process:
In a pan, add enough water, a pinch of salt, a tsp of oil and allow pasta to cook  [al dente]. I went ahead and added the baby corn to this water to allow it to cook well [you can cook it separately]. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it out , saving 1 tbsp of the water.

In another pan I added 1 tsp of olive oil, the garlic and other vegetables, allowing them to saute for a few minutes. To this I added the pesto sauce, almonds, sun dried tomato and salt. Add the water [in which you boiled the pasta]  and finally sprinkle the grated cheese and serve hot..

It tasted good, even if I do say so myself...

Serving portion - 1
Cooking time- 20mins
Prepping time- 10mins

Moti Mahal Delux, Chennai

This was my 2nd or 3rd visit to the restaurant and I have always enjoyed the experience. As you walk/drive down the road next to Signoraa on Nungambakkam high Road, you will find Moti Mahal Delux on your left. I vaguely recall there being a furniture store on the ground, but now Sam's pizza is located there. Anyways, you take the staircase beside the restaurant to reach Moti Mahal. For those who are lazy or old or cant climb stairs, there is an elevator as well :D 

As you walk in, the dark wood interiors greet you, showing off the large seating area and the private dining area on the extreme left. There is the kitchen at the end of the hall, and seating area has been divided into sections. There are eclectic art work on the walls, which Maaria mentioned were done by a lady she knows- they were traditional paintings overlapped with digital imaging. 

We settled in the private area as we were 10+ in number and my eyes went straight to the water canister on the table. It was purple and very Mediterranean. I had seen it in several stores, but not bought one.  Anyways, chit chat around the table brought me back to reality. We were served lemon iced tea to start off the evening and a huge bowl of salad was placed in the center of the table. The iced tea was passe, I went ahead and ordered my saviour drink- Fresh lime soda salt, while many others followed suit with their drink orders. 

Having eaten here before, I knew their paneer was as tender as it can get and the daal makhani was to die for. We were served Paneer tikka, veg seek kebabs with mint chutney and the non vegetarians got their share of the meat to keep em smiling away. The paneer as mentioned was just divine, melt in your mouth and the kebabs were soft and good. 

Little bit about Moti Mahal Delux.... 

"The original Moti Mahal Delux restaurant was founded in 1975s by Sh. Amrit Lal Kohli in the tony Greater Kailash and South Extension regions of south Delhi. The restaurant has since become the most popular Mughal food destination, attracting guests and publicity from all over the country. Over the years, Moti Mahal Delux has achived numerous accolades and awards for its one-of-a-kind Mughlai fine dining restaurant. Many of the recipes are family recipes, handed down through generations, with the entrees served with innovative appetizers"[Source: Motimahaldelux]

Now that you are a tad enlightened, let us move on to the main course, shall we? The staff brought out a huge plate and we were all curious to know what it held. There were 4-5 different kinds of  Indian breads on it, am referring to Roti- there was a plain naan, pudina paratha, chilli roti, makki ki roti and few others as well. They were quite good in terms of flavour, but as always the naan and roti need to be had hot, else it becomes dry and chewy... They were served alongside 3 vegetarian gravies- Daal Makhani, Vegetable gravy and paneer korma [forgotten their names, pardone moi]. Each one had a rich texture and flavour. It was quite yumm and filling. 

 Within minutes I noticed nearly all from the table make a dash for the table placed on the side, realised they were all there clicking pictures of the Biryani. I waited for the crowd to settle down before sneaking over and taking a shot. It was indeed Biryani served in a mud pot. Looked good alongside the raita.

And finally, we were done. Ready for desserts. There was the infamous Paan ice cream, and since I dont eat paan or the ice cream, I opted for the Kulfi which was amazing, delicious and every other adjectice you can think of.

Oh and wait, I was in for a lovely thoughtful surprise as we were leaving.The Manager handed me a bag and said "here is a little something from us, hope you enjoy it".. Any guesses? No? Well, they gave me the purple glass water canister :D

What a fun evening it had been. Moti Mahal is a place you should head to if you are looking for good north Indian fare. Dont miss their Paneer dishes, Daal Makhani and Kulfi...

Address:
No 7, Jaganathan Street
Nungambakkam High Road
Chennai- 600032
Ph: 044 4213 7539

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)