Restaurant Review – The Jaipur Experience

It’s amazing how conversations lead to beautiful discoveries.

Over coffee the other day, one topic led to another and a friend recommended we try an Indian restaurant called  Jaipur in Downtown Burj Khalifa, that not only served good food but shisha too. I made a mental note to visit them when the weather cools down.

But little did I know then that in a spontaneous dinner plan the following day, Jaipur would be the chosen destination.

There’s something very comforting in going to your favorite restaurant but there’s something quite adventurous in discovering a new, a nice one.

The ambiance at Jaipur was authentic Indian with lovely indoor and outdoor seating options, the latter offering stunning views of The Dubai Mall Fountain and the Burj Khalifa.

What I liked most about the place was its signature drink, Masala Medley, made of Kala Khata syrup, Sprite, soda, green chilies and chaat masala. Amazing. Sweet and tangy and spicy. It kinda set the right tone for the dinner ahead :)

The vegetarian menu options although nothing fancy, were nice and flavorsome. The staff were very friendly and the order took about 20 minutes to arrive. This could also be because the restaurant wasn’t busy.

I liked the way the kebabs were served. Smoking hot.

Budget wise, Jaipur’s medium priced. You can use the Time Out City Card to get a 15 per cent discount on the bill or Gulf News Good Living vouchers that offer one complimentary main course for one main course ordered (P.S.: Good Living vouchers only valid until 30 September 2010).

Jaipur is located in Burj Residences Phase-1, Downtown Burj Khalifa. For further inquiries contact them at 04-4226767.

Eggless Marble Cake with Nutella

This one’s a deliciously moist cake, the melts-in-your-mouth moist kinds :) and super light. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

The recipe can be found here, just omit the carrots and cinnamon. I halved the batter and added Nutella to one half. To get this pattern, pour the two batters one after the other (no need to spread – it’ll happen by itself)  in such a way that you get about 4-5 turns of each.

Mighty Excited about an Egg Replacer

That I picked up recently. Just the thought of me no longer having to look at some delicious recipes and going ‘Oh no, can’t try this recipe coz it has egg!!!’ is exhilarating :)

You have to be like a super enthusiastic novice vegetarian baker to know how that feels ;D

(Image Via)

Must contain my excitement though, until I’ve actually tried something with it and it turns out as awesome as with eggs. This Pioneer Woman recipe from Bakerella is first on the cards.

( Image Via)

Organ No Egg is available at the Organic Foods & Cafe at Dubai Mall for AED 31.50.

It’s Uncomplicated – This Vegan Mango Pudding

I like recipes that have a handful of ingredients and start at Step1 and finish at Step2 :) This one’s like that. The effort involved is inversely proportional to the taste ;)

Since it is the season of fresh mangoes, I’m sure most of you will find the essential ingredient of this recipe either at home or a few steps away at supermarkets. The other thing needed is…. well, I’ll let that be a surprise for a bit ;)

This simplest of mango pudding recipe comes courtesy of Madhuram’s Eggless Cooking, a website to be bookmarked for those looking for egg free recipes. The outcome is heavenly deliciousness :)

Yes, I do realize, I have done all the talk but haven’t shared the recipe yet :) You can find it here, on Madhuram’s online cook book. 

Nutritious Broken Wheat aka Dalia with Vegetables

As I cooked the broken wheat in ghee the other day, an aroma filled the kitchen, an aroma that took me back home, to my childhood, an aroma that I loved, was so familiar with but one that I had forgotten in the busy humdrum of life.

Meetho dario (Sindhi for Sweet Dalia or Broken Wheat made in sugar) is one of my most favorite dishes and the way my mum makes it is simply Out-Of-This-World. While I’ve haven’t been successful in recreating her flavor or perfection, what I have got my hands on is a more healthy and nutritious form of this grain. 

And that is cooking it with vegetables – light on the stomach, easy to make, healthy and above all D E L I C I O U S :)

For the uninitiated ;) if you have question marks over what broken wheat is – read this to learn more.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

1/2 cup broken wheat
1 tablespoon ghee
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup of vegetables you have handy – I used carrots and beans only
1/2 tomato, chopped finely
1 cup water
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a pressure cooker, mix broken wheat with 1 teaspoon ghee on medium flame until the grains change color to medium brown, stir continuously.
2. In a separate pan, add onions to 1 teaspoon ghee, stir for a couple of minutes till translucent, add salt, veggies and tomatoes. Let it cook for a few more minutes and turn off the heat.
3. Add semi cooked veggies to the broken wheat (once its color has changed) followed by salt and water. Check salt, close lid and cook for two whistles and a few more minutes on slow heat.

Super Quick Tofu Squares or Sandwiches

There is a thought,
Then there is inspiration,
Followed by a discussion with the self,
And visualization of how the ingredients and flavors will come together, 
Then there is execution,
Followed by celebration,
At your creation :)

I’m on a mission of sorts I think – to cook up a delicious, nutritious, fat-free snack every day. I tried this and this so far and was super excited at the results. And today, armed with enthusiasm, tofu in the house and some experience, tried my hand at this beauty.

 
For those of you who don’t like tofu or have kids, spouses, parents who don’t, the taste is so yummilicious, they won’t even know it’s there ;D

Ingredients: (Makes 2 Sandwiches or 8 squares)

4 slices of whole wheat bread (or white or any that you like)
150grams shredded tofu, with excess water removed
1 small onion, chopped finely
4-6 fresh mushrooms, chopped finely
2-4 baby corns, chopped finely
1 teaspoon olive oil
Handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to suit your taste

Directions:

1. In a pan, add oil and combine all ingredients leaving the bread aside. Cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. For those of you who like some spice, you can add jalapenos or chilies or flakes here.
2. Toast bread and apply butter/mayonnaise/ ketchup/cheese spread - whatever you like and place the filling on top.
3. Cut into squares or make sandwiches

And that’s it - sit back and relish or bask in the glory of compliments which are sure to follow :)

Simple & Easy Eggless Brownie Recipe

Brownnniiiie – my love affair with this devilish treat started back in college (yeah, rather late or shall I say thankfully late ;D) and ever since I have been faithfully in love with it.

When I said goodbye to hidden eggs in desserts last year, I had somehow managed to get the brownie and most desserts off my mind. Have to admit, the food blogs I keep discovering day after day have made it very very very difficult for me to stay away from all things sweet and in many ways is responsible for me baking, since eggless desserts aren’t readily available.

Back to today’s topic and the eggless brownie recipe came from browsing through Asha Khatau’s Delectable Desserts of the World book and I just had to give it a try. It needed simple ingredients readily available in the kitchen.

The result - :D nah I don’t want to rave anymore, looking back at my recipes and I have already used a lot of yums and deliciouses .. though I should add that this recipe is a MUST try. What you get is a heavenly delight.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Powdered sugar
1/4 cup Brown sugar (I had left over condensed milk from an earlier recipe so substituted this with 1/4 cup condensed milk)
1 cup Plain flour, sieved
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1/2 tsp Soda bi-carbonate (I did not have so skipped)
1/4 tsp Salt
3 tbspns Cocoa powder
6 tbspns Melted butter
1/3 cup Chopped walnuts
1 tbspn Vinegar
1 cup Ice cold water

Directions

1. Sieve together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, soda bi-carbonate and salt
2. Combine the wet ingredients together, except water
3. Mix the dry with the wet ingredients, adding water little at a time
4. Grease tin and pour the mixture. Bake in a pre-heated over at 180C for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean
5. Remove and cool in the pan for 5-7 minutes (very important, I was quite impatient at this step & don’t want to tell you what happened, so just follow :D)
6. Cut into equal squares and enjoy with some vanilla ice cream on the side

Sinful Nutella Cake – The Eggless Way

Nutella – OMG yummy yummy :) I was introduced to this lip smacking spread from my friend N’s lunch box in school. Her mom would pack these nutella sandwiches for her, only to be relished by us.. er.. only me I think :)

I was reminded of nutella once again a couple of weeks ago when I came across this Swirl Cake with Nutella recipe by Sandra Avital. You have to check her blog out to see just how tempting those pictures are. One look at them and I was dying to get my hands on to an eggless one.

So taking my mum’s earlier cake recipe and a bottle of nutella, I set out to make this treat.

Recipe:

1. Follow the cake recipe from here, omitting the carrots and cinnamon and using 3/4 tin condensed milk
2. Grease the tin with butter and pour half the batter and even it out with a spatula. Spread a layer of nutella over this and finish off with the remaining batter on top
3. Take a toothpick or the back of a spoon and swirl around so as to give a marble cake effect.
   Tip: Do this gently and do not let the toothpick sink to the bottom else the nuttela sticks to the tin

The result: Indescribable.  Has to be tasted to know exactly what I mean :)  

Healthy Baked Veggies

It must have been the nth time I’ve called my mum for a recipe I’ve asked her a gazillion times before.  And each time I ring her up for one, she never looses her patience, only very glad to be speaking to me, to hear me, to help me out. What is it about mums – ever so patient with their children, their cup of life overflowing with love for us.  So blessed are we.

So mum has this recipe which is filled with the goodness of veggies that are masked between cheese and white sauce. As I took note of it today, I promised to keep it handy, in a place where I can refer back to it easily – and what else can be more handy than this blog :)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Mix of veggies of your choice – I used spinach, broccoli, carrots, green beans, green capsicum, cabbage, mushrooms, boiled potatoes and corn – all diced
100 gms macroni, boiled
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 teaspoon oregano
salt as per your taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the white sauce:

2-3 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoon fine wheat flour (maida)
1/2 glass water
3/4 glass milk
2-3 tablespoon shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes
2. Add spinach and cook till the water dries up a bit
3. Add mix vegetables and cook until water dries up and they are about half cooked
4. Add boiled macaroni and potato, ketchup, salt, oregano and cook for a few minutes. Keep aside
5. For the white sauce – add butter followed by flour and cook for about half a minute. Add water and milk and cook till it boils. Simmer for a minute and add salt, pepper and shredded cheese.
6. Add white sauce to the vegetables, mix and pour into a baking dish
7. Garnish with more shredded cheddar cheese
8. Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts nicely

Your super yummy gorgeously cheesy veggies are ready to be served and savoured !

Bon Appetite!