Maharastrian Food Festival "Pangat" @ Mirador, House of Asia

The term ‘Pangat’ means having lunch/dinner seated on the floor mat and food being served in a specific sequential order in a thali or a banana leaf. These kind of Pangats, were very regular in the good old days and had their own charm. They are now taken over by table seating arrangement or buffet. However, you can now experience and get the feel of Pangat at Mirador, House of Asia during their Maharastrian Food Festival which is till 16^th April 2015.

I was invited to preview this exquisite style of dining at Mirador. As soon as I entered, I noticed the neatly laid ‘chowrangs’ (raised short table) decorated with beautiful traditional rangoli. I was excited to see this setup, as it has sadly become a dying tradition for having meals. Infact we were thrilled to learn from the management of Pangat about the concept of waiters serving in traditional attire and the Marathi folk song/ Marathi Bhaav Geet being played in the background added more to the ambiance further alleviating our spirits.

Pangat seating arrangment

We were welcomed with a serving of Kairi Paana and Sol Kadhi. I liked the idea of serving paana in earthenware Kullad. Sol Kadhi was more nutty to my taste. 

Kairi Paan and Sol Kadhi

This was followed by two type of Saar – Khekdyaache Saar (Crab Soup) and Tamate Che Saar (Tomato Soup). Surprisingly Tamate Che Saar was the one which impressed our palate in comparison to Crab soup.

Khekdyaache Saar

Tamate Che Saar

The starters soon arrived with a spread of veg and non veg delicacies. In veg starter there was Kelfulache Vade (Banana flower patty) which had a slightly bitter aftertaste – the chef informed us that this is how it is suppose to be and hence is served with khatti-meethi sont Chutney. 

Kelfulache Vade

Dalimb Batate (Tangy potato patty with pomegranate seed) which had a slight tangy flavour that actually tingled the tip of our tongues.

Dalimb Batate

Kothimir Vadi (steamed coriander cake) a typical Maharashtrian snack which had a nice soft texture.

Kothimir Vadi

Then, for non veg starters we had Jeera Meerichi Kombdi, (Chicken in jeera and black pepper), 

Jeera Meerichi Kombdi

Makli Masala (squid masala) and last but not the least,

Makli Masala

The dish that stole the show was Tawa che Bombil fry (Tawa fry Bombay Duck), which was something to die for. It was nice and crisp from outside, soft & perfectly cooked from inside. It had the right amount of spice that made us call for more. The soft flesh just melted in the mouth … A must try.

Tawa che Bombil Fry

All the starters were served with varieties of chutneys like garlic-tomato, raw mango, black sesame (til), coriander-mint and sweet-sour sont chutney, which acted as an appetizer to awaken our taste buds.

Chutneys
Clockwise Top Left: Garlic-Tomato, Black Sesame, Raw Mango, Coriander-Mint
Center: Sweet & Sour Sont Chutney

Finally it was the time we all were waiting for ‘The Main Course’. The Thali was something one should not miss out on. It was nothing short of a culinary tour of Maharashtra. So, lets take a quick ride of the tantalizing Maharashtrian carte du jour

(From Left to Right)

1) Kombdi che Sukka (Dry Chicken) which was creamy, flavorful and mild spicy,

2)  Kairi chi Kadi (Raw Mango Curry) – Typical Coastal style. This has perfect blend of sweetness of coconut, sourness of raw mango and just a hint of pungency of chilies. This was yum, and I could actually have a whole bowl.

3) Masala Bhaat (Rice) from Vidarbha

4) Aamti, a typical lentil commonly prepared in every Maharastrian household. This had perfect blend of spice that will make any Maharastrian feel at home.

5) Bharli Vangi (Stuffed Brinjal), this was stuffed and then cooked in gram flour gravy.

6) A Bowl of Curd.

7) Mixed Ussal, a well known Kolhapuri dish.

8) Kolhapuri Mutton Pandhra Rassa, this was mildly spicy and the mutton was tender and perfectly cooked.

9) Tandalaa chi Bhakri (Rice Roti/Flat Bread) to go with all these gravies and curries.

Thali

As the saying goes “Let’s end it on a sweet note” similarly, when it comes to the sweets of Maharashtra, first thing that comes to our mind is the Puran Poli, which can be regarded as an empowering Maharashtrian sweet. This was delectable and was just like the home-made ones. The only element missing was a trickle of fragrant ghee that would have transformed it into one Lip smacking scrumptious dessert.

Puran Poli

The other sweet item was the Olya Naral Chi Karanji which I felt was more like the UP style Gujiya.

Olya Naral Chi Karanji

Unfortunately, we all were too stuffed with starters and hence couldn't do complete justice to the main course. My advice would be to go easy on the appetizers/starters enabling one to enjoy the true essence of Maharashtrian Main Course, which in literal sense is the ‘Life’ of the entire Pangat at Mirador.

Where:  House of Asia, Hotel Mirador, New Link Road, Chakala, Andheri (East), Mumbai

Duration : 10^th – 16^th April 2015

Timing: 7:30 p.m onwards

Price: INR 900/- (inclusive all taxes)

Contact: 022 6649 5000

The Teapot Cafe Review

I was so pleasantly surprised after visiting this place as they serve Italian food (Good to taste), American- Subs, burgers, and rolls (Pretty decent). And also PARSI that tastes like Parsi food !

I have tried quite a bit of their versatile menu and every single time I was a Happy Diner !!

This place is small and snug and not easily visible though it is opposite Bombay House at Fort. As soon as we entered it was a sheer Jaw Dropper. The main area was beautifully Unique with the seating arrangement being different from each other. Some had regular glass topped tables with contemporary chairs, some were wooden tables, some had typical Living room sofa set that was good enough to turn someone into a compulsive couch potato !! It also has a small mezzanine section with some plastic chairs and again a cozy couch setup. The area that caught my attention was the beautifully arranged colourful Tea Pots.

So ambiance wise I am just In Love with this place. Now when it comes to the food it again has won our hearts to the core. They serve Yummy Double hotdogs, a 3 deckered Giant Sandwich that acts like complete meal, authentic carbonara pasta (cheesy with bacon bits and eggs), chicken arabiatta- again so original in taste. 

Double Hotdog

Bacon Egg Cheese Burger

Their baked dish is simple... but so good that it seemed like being whipped up by some Loving Grandma for her Pet Grand kids. Chicken dhansak also tasted very Parsi and not like some lousy experimental dish. I also love the chicken stroganoff which is Bland, yet has all the elements of an excellent creamy chicken dish.

Dhansak with Brown Rice

So guys, this place will never cease to surprise and get you excited over all the variety they have. What sets them apart is, that most of the food tastes very Homely and doesn't have the restaurant feel to it. Whatever I have had here was amazingly Delicious and I would keep on making more trips for the items that i Have tried and the ones that i Havent !!

Photos Courtesy: The Teapot Cafe

My Favorite Dish - Tambli

The most difficult question to ask a Foodie is “Which is your favorite dish?” coz it will be an endless list. It’s like asking “Which child is favorite?” to a mother having more then one kid. Similarly, for a BIG FOODIE like me it’s a dilemma to pick one from my endless list. 

Anyways, I believe that when we talk about favorite food, it’s not only the taste but it should also give a feeling of contentment after eating. Also the other elements that go into creating a terrific dish are smell, presentation, color, exotic ingredients etc.

Now that you got me thinking, I should mention one of our Chirtapur-Saraswat’s traditional dish called Tambli, definitely wins the ”Bownie Points”. This is a curry served with plain steamed rice. I remember my grandma/mother sitting and grinding the masala for Tambli on the grinding stone. Such a simple tool that did wonders in transforming ingredients into a smooth wet paste with the right consistency. No modern appliances can remotely match the beauty of the almost extinct grinding stone. This is how it was traditionally made, which has now taken over by mixture/grinder. I used to sit on my grandma’s lap and help her to grind the masala. The momentum of the grinding stone was a thrill to my eyes and the magic of the ingredients getting crushed into a paste increased my curiosity.

There are many ways and variation to make Tambli like the green tambli made from leaves (palak/tendli/radish/ajwain/coriander/turnip/kale/navalkol/cauliflower etc...), garlic, onion, jeera, amla, mango, etc… My all time favourite is the Palak Tambli.

Tambli is preferred during summers as it gives a cooling effect in the hot scorching heat. Along with any one of the above mentioned main ingredient, the other items used are fresh coconut, buttermilk/tamarind, green chillies and jeera while grinding and is served cold with plain steam rice.

Each tambli mentioned above exudes its own unique flavour and a distinct taste depending upon the different core ingredient being used. Usually Tambli is accompanied with another traditional dish–Bendi, which is hot spicy and compliments the mild taste of Tambli.

This is my favourite as not only does it rekindle the priceless childhood memories of innocence, but is also bundled up with its mild sweet-nutty flavor of coconut and the subtle flavor and smooth texture of the Palak leaves that leaves a lingering taste to shout for more. 

VILLAGE - The Soul of India

This place at Raghulella - Kandivali (West) is Buzzing full of Activity and party atmosphere in the typical Desi rural style. The ambiance actually takes you on a rural ride.

I was very impressed to see how they have used innovatively the tea kettles, dabbas (typically the Mumbai dabbawala types), puppets, lanterns, dandiyas, garba pots, cycle wheels etc...to create the rural look. 

They have created vidaymandir (school), daak ghar (post office), talkies (movie theater), vivaha mandal (marriage bureau), cycle rickshaw, auto rickshaw, truck, a well, trees etc...In short it like a Gaav ka Mela..... (Caution, as i have heard stories of people getting lost in gaav ka mela..lols).

 

You cannot miss out on the half truck, right at the entrance greeting you and tempts you to ride on it. 

And a typical Munimji sitting with his cash box collecting money for the entry. Infact the entire staff is seen dressed in traditional Gujarati / Rajasthani attire.

I have been here twice and both the times we ended up having food almost after one hour of dilly dallying our time in the restaurant by mingling around with the gola wala, the bangle wali, the mehendi wali, astrologer, chai wala, at the chana, imli, raw mango, star fruit and guava etc...counter, being a noisy bunch of spectators to the garba and dandiya going on.  

Suddenly there were some folk dances and folk songs being sung which we enjoyed whilst moving a leg or two with the performers. The energetic folk song and dance was followed by the string puppet show. 

You can also indulge in pottery wherein the potter dressed in a traditional attire teaches you the art of making your own pots for a nominal price.

So we spent most of our time in all such super exciting rural activities and only when our stomachs started growling we actually headed for the food counters. 

The spread consists of 4-5 types of farsaan, 3-4 types of khakaras, live chaat counters, spread of salad, live dosa counter, 3-4 veggies (dry and gravy), live tava counter, paav bhaji, khichdi-kadi, khichu, rajasthani dal bati, 3-4 types of churma, papad-gatte ki sabzi, dal pakawan, chinese rice, gravy and noodles. Desserts had icecreams, kheer, gulab jamuns, moong dal halwa, rasgulla, gajar halwa & a live jalebi counter. 

 

We started off digging into the Chaat counter with pani puri first. The pani puri was unique as they had 5-5 different flavoured paani like kachi kairi, jeera, orange, hing (asafoetida) in addition to the conventional paani. One other not so common chaat was the paapdi chaat which tickled our taste buds with its burst of flavours & texture. After having quick bites of other chaats we were too stuffed to start main course immediately & so indulged in some more village activities to kindle the hunger within.

Paani Puri Counter

Jeera and Orange Paani

Kachi Kairi and Hing Paani

  

Live Chaat Counter

Farsaan

 

Live Jalebi

From top: Jalebi, Moong Dal Halwa, Gulab Jamun, Rasgulla, Gajar Halwa

To digest all that huge spread of food they also have chaas; in addition to the activities like garba and dandiya J.

Chaas

Food out here is pretty decent and nothing very exotic. They do have this Unlimited Massive Menu for a fixed price. But quality wise and taste wise its strictly average.

Overall the ambiance is very festive and feel good kinda but if one concentrates on the quality of food by overshadowing all the distractions its becomes apparent that the food by and large is very Standard in taste.

I should mention this is an ideal spot for impressing the non mumbaites or specifically firnagee friends to go gaga over the fancy entertainment with a splash of tradition bundled together in a nice rustic village dining package.