Mahindra Homestays » Food

The India Coffee House; How India likes its coffee

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:00:54 +0000

The quick in and out espresso bar of Europe has yet to make its way to India, where people still like to spend hours over a cup of coffee. Chains of coffee shops have mushroomed all over the country. In fact, an urban neighbourhood is likely to have more than a dozen of such swanky outlets. The oldest name in the business, however, is a far cry from the modern-day cappuccino-selling shops.

The India Coffee House chain, founded more than 70 years ago, has a presence in all major cities and many small towns. There are close to 400 such outlets, with Kerala notching up the highest number with more than 50. Orderlies with cummerbunds and pointed turbans can be found in many of the Coffee House branches. The coffee menu is usually restricted to hot coffee (black or with milk), cold coffee (without ice-cream), tea, milk and a handful of sherbets and milk shakes. The accompaniments are what contribute to the high footfall, despite the fact that some of the outlets are in need of a makeover. Plates of mutton samosas, biryani, cutlets, omelettes, paranthas, dosas and pakoras fly off the counter as quickly as the coffee served in modest white cups and saucers.

The most legendary India Coffee House branch is the one opposite Presidency College in Kolkata. This is where film-makers, politicians, poets, writers and statesmen spend hours over coffee, making it the hotbed of intellectualism. They say that many a revolution was born, many a script written, many a deal struck and many a love affair blossomed over a cup at the ‘Coffee House on College Street’.

Breakfast in the south of India,usually idlis, upma, idiappam and suchlike, is incomplete without the signature filter coffee, served in stainless tumblers. Be it the legendary MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Room) chain in Bangalore or the popular Murugan’s Idli Shop in Chennai’s T. Nagar, the filter coffee served is a mix of dark roasted coffee beans and chicory. Filter coffee mixes as well as the coffee maker, a set of two tumblers,are good souvenirs from a holiday in the south.

The moment a train enters the south, you will see vendors selling tea are far outnumbered from those with coffee. The coffee available on railway platforms is usually served in a small paper cup. The vendor almost always sprinkles coffee powder on the top, giving you as authentic a taste you can ask for Rs. 10 or even less. In some cases, you will find a vendor selling ‘chaffee’ a mix of coffee and tea.

WHILE ON THE MOVE….
Here’s a pick of good places to go for coffee, conversation and more:

India Coffee House on Shimla’s Mall. Also try the mutton dosa.
Devraj Coffee Corner, the only German bakery in Rishikesh. Have coffee with the brown bread and yak cheese.
Brown Bread Bakery in Varanasi, which is a great place to catch up with fellow travellers.
Matteo, Bangalore’s hottest new cafe.
Auroville Bakery in Pondicherry, which is also much known for its cakes and croissants.
Lila Cafe on Baga beach in Goa, also famous for the pumpernickel bread and apple pie.

COFFEE CARDAMOM KULFI RECIPE
Try this delicious coffee based recipe for an alternative but very popular way to get your coffee fix!

Ingredients:
Servings: 5

8 cups milk
3 tbsp sugar
12 cardamom pods
6 tbsp brewed espresso

Method
Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan. When it reached boiling point, reduce to low heat and stir occasionally for 20 minutes.

Crush the cardamom and add to the milk. Simmer for 60 minutes (or untill the time the milk reduces to two cups). Pour the milk into a bowl, add espresso and sugar, and stir. Leave it to cool down.

Churn the mixture in an ice-cream maker until thick. Put the mixture into five kulfi moulds and refrigerate.

Add slivered almonds and a few strands of saffron before serving.

Spices in Indian food

Mahindra Homestays — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:00:52 +0000

Spices in an Indian kitchen may very well be referred to as the heart of Indian cuisine. Each spice has its own distinct taste and flavour. However, when combined in the preparation of a dish they come together to create a unique flavour.

We take a look at the use of spices in Indian food.

Most Popular spices

Turmeric is usually used in powder form and adds a strong yellow colour to the food. Although it is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, it is still recommended to use sparingly, as even a little of it goes a long way!

Cumin Seeds are used in both forms; whole as well as powder. It has a distinct aroma and is used quite extensively.

Black pepper is the fruit of the black pepper plant and is used whole as well as split. Rich in a number of vitamins, it is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Pepper is indigenous to India.

Mustard and Coriander Seeds are both used to garnish dishes and are extremely popular in an Indian kitchen.

Red Chilli is a very important spice and is mainly used in the dry form. When grounded into a fine powder and sautéed in oil, it adds a fiery element to a dish. The degree of hotness depends on which part of India the spice originates. The Kashmiri red chilli is the most popular one that used in Indian cuisine followed by the Andhra red chillies.

Cardamom is a sweet spice having a very distinct aroma and is used in many North Indian as well as South Indian desserts.

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices. It is produced in very few regions of the world, Kashmir in India being one of them. Not only is saffron aromatic and delicious but it also adds a beautiful rich colour to the food.

Nutmeg and Mace are mainly used in desserts. Keeping in mind how strong and potent they are, it is strongly recommended to use them both sparingly!

Cloves are dried up flower buds and are a strong and heady spice. It is mainly used in North Indian dishes such as biryani and curry. They are barely used in South Indian delicacies.

Cinnamon is actually the dried bark of a tree. It is added to oil as its getting heated, in this manner the oil gets flavoured and the food gets cooked in this fragrant oil.

Staying on a spice plantation

Many spice plantations open their doors to guests, giving you the opportunity to explore a working plantation and see and taste the fresh spices. Find out more about plantation tours.

Here are some great choices for enjoying the lush green surrounds of an Indian spice plantation.

Pepper County in Thekkady is a modern and immaculate house with a sense of rural seclusion. The house looks out onto spectacular views across hills and plantations, consisting mainly of pepper and cardamom with many other spices and fruits, such as chillies, cashews, cinnamon and jackfruit. The hosts gladly show the guests around and inform them about the various kinds of plantations.
Ambady Estate in Munnar is of about 75 acres in size and is right behind the smoking house that is still used to dry the cardamom from the plantations. Activities here include learning the traditional Kerala style of cooking.
Glenora Homestays in Wayanad is located amidst a massive 90 acre plantation of coffee and betel nut with a whole variety of spices and fruit trees growing on the property. The hosts have been taking care of the plantations for over 40 years now and will take you on a plantation walk to show you and let you taste numerous fresh spices.

Coastal Indian food by state

Mahindra Homestays — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 20:00:42 +0000

Following our post about seafood in India we take a culinary tour of the coastline to look at the different cooking methods and ingredients used in different coastal states.

Goa
Food styles here have been influenced by the Portuguese. The xacuti curry or the caldeina, for instance are Portuguese-influenced. Goans love their fish and seafood and have it in all forms – fried, curried and pickled.

In the monsoon, when fish is scarce, they make the molho – a pickle made of mullet or clams, eaten cold. Once you have tried the range of seafood dishes, you will understand the Goan fascination with fish.

Try the fish xacuti which has a liberal dose of the pungent local vinegar; the fish reacheado, stuffed with the signature fiery red masala, the unassuming but delicious fish curry and rice; a balchao (pickled and spicy curry), and the kalamari (squid) butter garlic fry.

Maharashtra
In Mumbai, the more enterprising fish and seafood lovers head to Sassoon Docks where they joust with local Koli fisherfolk for the new catch being taken off boats that have just come in. It is quite an experience.

Maharashtra has a wide variety of seafood cooking styles. Malvani cuisine is the standard cuisine of the Konkan region of Maharashtra (and parts of Goa). Malvan is a town in the Sindhudurg district on the west coast of Maharashtra. It has its own distinct way of cooking food. Fish dishes dominate Malvani cuisine. For an authetic taste of Malvai homecooked food try the bangda fry (fried mackerel) and kolambi (prawns curry).

Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is famous for Chettinad cuisine with its spicy curries cooked in tamarind and roasted spices. The Chettinad fish fry uses a special masala for marinating tha gives it a special taste.

Tamil Nadu also has the rather unique fish podi (fish powder made from dried fish), used by fishermen. Nanjilnadu in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu is famous for its fish curry since the region is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

Kerala
Like Goa and Maharashtra, Kerala too is renowned for its fresh seafood, caught daily by fishermen with nets in rickety narrow wooden canoes called vallams. Kerala’s long coastline and strong fishing industry has contributed many fish-based delicacies. The Malabar coast especially has some of the finest seafood dishes available in India.

Along the backwaters of the Alleppey region, a popular fish is the karimeen (pearl spot fish) which is fried lightly. Meen moilee (coconut-based fish curry) with appam (fermented and steamed bowl-shaped rice pancakes) is another popular dish. Choose an Alleppey, Cochin or Kottayam homestay to sample the best seafood. You’ll get the opportunity to join the fishermen in their forays for seafood, and later take part in the cooking process and learn how it’s done. You can also try some night fishing with the fishermen along the banks of Vembanad Lake. You may get lucky and catch an elusive lobster. A cooking class the day after your night fishing experience will round off an enjoyable culinary exploration.

Karnataka
Karnataka has the mildest spice content among the four southern Indian states. Seafood-based gravies called gassi are common with rice in coastal Karnataka. The cuisine of coastal Karnataka has similarities with the food of Kerala.

Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is famous for its hot and spicy cuisine which includes both the original Andhra cuisine and Hyderabadi cuisine with the influence of royal recipes from nawabs. Hyderabadi cuisine is very similar to Avadhi or Lucknowi cuisine. Northern parts have cuisine similar to that found in Maharashtra. Chepa pulusu is a fish stew that is typically sour and cooked with tamarind paste. Other common bases are tomatoes or mangoes. with the majority being vegetable or lentil based.

Orissa and West Bengal
In Bengal, try the iconic Chingri Malai Curry (prawns/shrimps in coconut milk) said to be influenced by Malaysian cuisine, or Daab Chingri (prawns/shrimp cooked in the shell of a tender coconut).

A Taste of India: Cuisine of East India

Mahindra Homestays — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:00:45 +0000

We look at the best cuisine of east India and the delicious dishes you should sample in Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Three common threads connect the cuisine of the eastern states of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The first is the use of opium, or rather poppy seeds. The seeds are considered highly nutritious, and the paste of white poppy seeds is added for thickness, texture and a unique flavour.

Bengal makes the alu posto made with potatoes and gourd. A paste of posto made with ground seeds seasoned with mustard oil, green chili and salt is also had with hot steamed rice. Orissa has jahni alu posta (a potato and gourd dish), and Bihar loves postaa-dana kaa halwa, a sweet pudding made of poppy seeds.

The second common thread is the use of the strong and pungent mustard oil as a cooking medium.

The third is the use of paanch phoron (literally ‘five seeds’ – aniseed, mustard seed, fenugreek, carrom, and nigella seeds). Beyond this, the cuisine of Orissa and Bengal overlap quite a bit with both states laying claim to inventing several famous foods (like the rosogolla, a famous sweet made of cheese).

Bihar
The cuisine of Bihar is a mixture of North and Eastern Indian cuisine. Chickpea flour is used in a variety of ways including the popular litti (baked and stuffed bread made of roasted chickpea flour, pictured below) served with chokha (potato, tomato and brinjal mash), sattu parathas stuffed with chickpea flour and the sattu drink, used in summers to cool down and get quick energy. The sattu along with Bihari kebabs are two signature dishes of Bihar that are popular outside the state as well.

Orissa
Orissa, though famous for its food, often gets overshadowed by Bengal. It is believed that most of Bengal’s famous cooks came from Orissa, and quite a few Bengali dishes are derivatives of Oriya cuisine. Dalma is a unique and famous dish prepared in Orissa with vegetables and dal. All meals have a khatta – a sweet and sour dish. The famous khattas are dahi baingan, tomatoes khatta and amba khatta. During scorching summers, the cooling pakhal (pictured below), made of rice, water, and yogurt fermented overnight, prevents heat strokes.

Bengal
Bengal loves fish and no meal is complete without ‘maachher jhol and bhaat’ (fish curry and rice). If you have a sweet tooth, you will be spoilt for choice here as Bengalis are famous for their sweet concoctions (pictured below) – fried, steamed and baked.

Try the mishti doi (sweet curd), rosogolla and sandesh (both made from cottage cheese).

The city of Kolkata has its own special cuisine, different from the rest of Bengal. It is influenced by the passage of conquerors and immigrants the city has witnessed over centuries. Street food like kathi kebabs and rolls are influenced by the Mughals. The footprint of the Brits can be seen in the varieties of cutlets including the kabiraji cutlet, the Jews gave alu makallah, the khaw suey came from the Burmese, and the Chinese contributed chowmein and noodles. A signature dish of Kolkata, the Chingri Malai Curry, has Malaysian roots.

Sikkim
Further up from Bengal, towards the Himalayas is the state of Sikkim, which has its own distinctive culinary style influenced by neighbouring Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. A popular food is the momo (pictured below) – a dumpling stuffed with chicken, pork, beef or vegetables.

Sikkimese people love noodle-based soups with or without meat to keep the chill out. Thukpa, thanthu, gyathuk, and fakthu are one-pot soup meals.

Sha-phaleys are fried patties filled with minced meat had as a snack. Chhurpi is a local cheese made from cow or yak’s milk, commonly used by mountaineers who chew it to maintain salivation.

Sikkimese use a lot of fermented foods – like kinema, a fermented soybean with a high protein content, and the sel roti made with fermented rice. Gundruk soup (prepared using leaves of mustard, radish and cauliflower) is a great option for vegetarians. So is Sinki made from roots of the radish.

Rice isn’t the only grain, Sikkim uses a wide variety – finger millet, wheat, buckwheat and barley. When the Himalayan chill gets to you, try the local drink chhang, a millet beer served in bamboo tankards, sure to warm you up.

No matter where you travel you’ll find the cuisine of east India offers plenty of variety to get the mouth watering and taste buds tingling!

Seafood in India

Mahindra Homestays — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:00:22 +0000

India has a vast coastline and the population living along it is dependent on the abundant marine life as a source of income as well as food.

Since the fishermen community depends on marine life for food, staples such as fish curry and rice can be found in most coastal regions.

Coastal culinary styles
The type of seafood and style of cooking varies from state to state and coast to coast.

The states on the western coast of India have their unique culinary style. The flavours are often fiery – whether it is Malvani or Malabari, Mangalorean or Goan.

On the west coast, coconut and chillies are used in most dishes alongside a souring agent like vinegar or the delicious kokum (mangosteen). Other alternative souring agents are bimbli (a kind of sour fruit) and young, green mangoes.

Goa’s fish curry and rice mostly uses the plump bangda (a species of mackerel) and the curry is thick and coconut-based with kokum.

By contrast seafood dishes on the east coast hardly ever use coconut and the souring agent is commonly tamarind or tomato.

On the east coast in West Bengal, the curry will be thinner with turmeric, tomato and potatoes. The Nellore fish curry from Andhra Pradesh packs a punch and uses both tamarind and tomatoes.

When to enjoy seafood in India
All year through, one can enjoy India’s seafood dishes. Except in the monsoon. During the rainy season (June to mid-September), fishermen take a break and hang up their nets. This is partly because the sea is rough at the time, and storms are frequent. Also, in most places, monsoon is considered to be the breeding time for fish. Since seafood is scarce, people preserve fish by salting and drying or pickling them. In places like Goa, local restaurants buy fish in advance, sun-dry them, and store in airtight tins with a few mango leaves to preserve them.

Buying fresh seafood
In the eastern states of Orissa and West Bengal, it is customary for men to go early morning with a small thaila (bag) to the fish market to haggle and buy the best catch of the day. In some places along the coast, it is common to see people gather on the beach, waiting for the fishermen to bring in the day’s catch in their boats, and then bargain like crazy to get the best wholesale prices before the catch hits the markets.

In some areas like Kerala and Goa, the seafood or fish is brought right to your doorsteps in a basket by a fishmonger on a cycle.

In most places, tourists can try their hand at fishing, picking up tips from local fishermen or alternatively you can also buy fresh catch from the fish market or the beach and have them cooked at shacks or restaurants on the beach.

In many homestays your host will be able to give you a cooking demonstration and teach you how to cook your seafood catch in the local style. When you are back home, you will know how to recreate the dish and share some coastal Indian flavour with friends and family.

Fish curry recipe
A staple found along every stretch of coastline in India, fish curry is a delicious way to serve up some fresh seafood. Try this authentic tangy Goan fish curry recipe for yourself.

Goan Fish Curry (serves 3)
Ingredients:

1 medium size firm, white fish (like pomfret or kingfish)
1/2 medium size onion, chopped fine
1/2 tsp tamarind paste
1/4 tsp turmeric
Spice paste (4 dry red chillies; 4 cloves garlic; 4 peppercorns; 1/2 tsp coriander seeds; 1 cup grated coconut)
Salt

Method:

Firstly create the spice paste by grinding finely with a little water all the spice paste ingredients together.
Pat dry the fish with a kitchen towel. Apply salt and turmeric and keep aside.
Heat oil, put in chopped onion, stir.
Add ground paste and a cup of water.
Bring to a boil on low heat.
Add tamarind paste and season with salt.
Finally add fish slices, bring to a second boil then simmer for a few minutes.
Serve hot with rice.

Homestays offer fantastic home cooked cuisine for guests and hosts are happy to share recipes and even show you some of the cooking techniques.

Kashmir cuisine; Wazwan

Mahindra Homestays — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 01:46:51 +0000

Kashmiri cuisine tends to be very meat dominated, in particular mutton is used in a wide variety of dishes such as the well known Rogan Josh which can be found on Indian menus throughout the world.

Wazwan
Wazwan is a traditional Kashmir multi-course meal. The word Wazwan comes from waz which means a chef with rare culinary skills that have been passed on through generations, and wan which denotes a shop with abundant supply of meats and delicacies.

Hours of cooking and days of planning go into the making and serving of a wazwan and the preparation is considered an art. The pride of Kashmiri cuisine Wazwan is a 36 course weddings banquet is now also served on other special and important occasions. Traditionally 15 to 30 dishes of Wazwan are comprised of meat. Many of the delicacies are cooked all through the night and under the expert supervision of a Vasta Waza or head chef, assisted by an entourage of wazas under him.

Wazwaan is a beautiful blend of the Mughal style with that of the Kashmiri Panditsr. The basic difference between the two schools is the abundant use of heeng (asafetida) and curd amongst the Pandits, and the use of onions and garlic amongst the Mughals. It is interesting to note that the meat for some of the Wazwan items requires being really fresh. Timing is very crucial! More than half an hour cannot elapse between the slaughtering of the goat and the pounding of the meat.

Dishes included in a Wazwan feast
At a typical Wazwan it is observed that guests are grouped into fours for the serving. The meal begins with ritual washing of hands, as a jug and basin are passed among the guests. A large serving dish piled high with heaps of rice, decorated and quartered by four seekh kababs, four pieces of meth maaz, two tabak maaz, (ribs of lamb simmered in yoghurt till tender, then fried,sides of barbecued ribs), and one safed kokur (white chicken), one zafrani kokur (masala chicken), along with other dishes is brought out for the diners. The meal is usually garnished with Kashmiri saffron, salads, Kashmiri pickles and dips.

Some of the most popular dishes served at a typical Wazwan are:

Rista which are meatballs in fiery red gravy
Lahabi Kabab which are flattened mutton kababs cooked in yogurt
Waza Kokur two halves or two full chicken cooked whole
Rogan Josh, tender lamb cooked with Kashmiri spices
Yakhni, delicately spiced yogurt curry
Dum Aloo, potatoes cooked in yogurt gravy

The man meal concludes with the very exclusive Gushtaba which is a velvety textured meatball in white yogurt gravy, a speciality, and one that is never refused. Then finally comes the Phirni a dessert of semolina thickened in milk set in earthenware topped with nuts and silver leaf. Served at the very end is a cup of Kahwa, the green tea flavoured with saffron, cardamom and almonds.

It can be safely concluded that Wazwan is not simply a meal; it is in fact an art that must be experienced at least once to understand and appreciate all the effort that goes into this centuries old tradition.

It is possible to take a Kashmir cooking lesson if you are staying in the region where you can learn some of the component dishes of a typical Wazwan.

Kashmiri Pulao
Try some simple Kashmir cuisine at home with this easy recipe of Kashmiri Pulao, a popular rice dish in the region.

Ingredients

2 cups – Long grain rice (basmati)
2 cups – Milk
1/2 cup – Cream
1 tsp – Sugar
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp – Cumin seeds
3 nos – Cloves
1 inch – Cinnamon Stick
3 – Cardamoms
1 No – Bay leaf
2 tbsp – Ghee
1 cup – Canned chopped mixed fruit (drained)
2 nos – Rose petals

Cooking Instructions

Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes.
Mix milk, cream, sugar, salt. Drain rice, keep aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy pan, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bayleaf, cardamoms, cloves.
Allow to splutter, add rice and fry in ghee for 2 minutes.
Add milk, cream, mixture.
Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer till cooked.
Mix in drained fruit very gently, garnish by sprinkling finely broken rose petals.
Serve hot with a curry or tadka dal.

Karnataka Cuisine and Pandi Curry Recipe

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:09:31 +0000

With Karnataka’s diverse topography, the food habits of different regions bring an interesting element to the state’s cuisines. With a vast coast line, rain forest areas and plains, Karnataka cuisine has a lot of influences. The bordering states of Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh also influence the cooking techniques and types of ingredients used.

Karnataka has many vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, often accompanied by rice. Popular dishes include Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi rotti, Akki rotti, Saaru, Idli, Vangi Bath, Khara Bath, Kesari Bath, Davanagere Benne Dosa, Ragi mudde and Uppittu. Variations of these can be experienced in different regions.

While some basic dishes are common to all regions it is the region specific delights that you should be looking for when travelling to the state. The three main areas which are sure to take you for a gastronomical ride are Mysore, Coorg and Bangalore.

COORG
Coorg is known for its copious amounts of alcohol and meat products in daily use. If you are foodie, this place is sure to delight you. Pandi Karri (Pork dish), Koli Saaru (Chicken dish), Meenu Saaru (Fish Dish) are dishes that you will encounter often. Coorgis often use traditional styles of cooking. Their love for food is enormous and one can see that in all local festivals, marriages and family events. Try the Kabadu dish which is eaten with the curries.

They also use bamboo shoot and mushrooms in their food which is seen sparingly in India. Try arriving in Coorg around the Kailpoldu festival when culinary skills are spruced up and every kitchen is pulsating with activity.

MYSORE
Mysore and surrounding areas is yet another region which is known for its fabulous food. The south Karnataka region emphasises more on staple grains like bajra and jowar. This region is known for its vegetarian dishes. Meals consist of Ragi mudde, Saaru, Rice and Yogurt. A salad called Kosambari (pictured below) which is prepared using simple ingredients such as lentils, green chillies and finely chopped coriander, and various Palyas (fried, boiled or sauteed spicy vegetables) are quite famous.

BANGALORE
Bangalore also lies in South Karnataka and traditionally serves up dishes like Mysore although this kind of food is fast disappearing from the house-holds. Being a cosmopolitan city, the dishes in Bangalore have a lot of modern infusion in the food creating some varied and unusual dishes.

Certain traditional foods however will always remain part of the Bangalore kitchens; namely Shenga chutney, mosaru, kempu and heavy use of vegetables.

PANDI (PORK) CURRY
This spicy pork curry is typical to Coorg. It is normally served with rice.

Ingredients:
1 Kg Pork (2 Lbs)
1tsp Turmeric power
1tsp Cumin Seeds
8-10 Small Onions or 2 big onions
10-15 cloves of Garlic
3-4 Green Chills
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tbs Cumin Power
Vinegar
Salt to taste

Preparation: After washing the pork well and draining all the water off it, marinate the pork for 10-15 minutes with salt, red chilly power or pepper and turmeric. While this is being done, blend the green chillies, onions, ginger and a few cumin seeds. After this, fry the cumin powder until it turns darkish brown, and then add mustard and the rest of the cumin seeds. Fry this for a few minutes. Now add the marinated pork to the blended onion mixture and cook for a while. Add the fried condiments and cook on low flame for a few minutes till the pork is cooked. Add vinegar to the dish and serve with rice.

Homestays offer fantastic home cooked cuisine for guests and hosts are happy to share recipes and even show you some of the cooking techniques.

Mango tasting and mango lassi recipe

Mahindra Homestays — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:47:04 +0000

The mango season is still in full force in India and now is the best time to taste this delicious fruit. The three day 2012 Delhi Mango Festival drew in huge crowds and showcased over 500 varieties of the much loved mango.

Don’t despair if you missed the event though, there are still plenty of mango tasting opportunities. Here is our list of where to find Delhi’s best mangos.

DELHI’S BEST MANGOES ARE AT….
Bengali Market – a market otherwise known for its chaat and chhole bhature stalls also has a decent selection of fruit vendors. Go there for the alphonso.

Azadpur Mandi – one of Asia’s largest fruits and vegetable wholesale markets, this is the typical Indian bazaar; noisy, messy, crowded but the prices are the most reasonable in town.

INA Market - opposite the original Dilli Haat; prices here are on the steeper side, but the variety is one of the best you will find in Delhi.

MANGO FOR ALL SEASONS
Not in Delhi for the Mango Festival? Don’t lose heart… be it any season, you can still enjoy the flavour of the fruit. To experience the diversity of the tasty mango we suggest you buy and taste the following:

Aam papad
Aam ka murabba
Teekha aam ka achaar
Aam ras
Mango mousse
Mango kulfi

If you are staying in a homestay your host will be happy to be your local guide and tell you where you can access the best mango tasting locally!

MANGO LASSI RECIPE
This delicious recipe is a great way to enjoy mangos! It is quick and easy to prepare.
Preparation time: 7-10 minutes
Servings: 5

INGREDIENTS
2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups of mango pulp (use alphonso, Bengal Malda or langda)
2 teaspoons of sugar
A cup of crushed ice (optional)
Dry fruits and nuts for garnishing

METHOD
Combine the ingredients (except the garnish) in a blender and puree until smooth. Cover and refrigerate before serving.
To make it look more authentic, serve in earthen tumblers (the kind you will find in dhabas in Punjab) and add some chopped cashewnuts, almonds, raisins and crushed cardamom seeds on the top.

Food of Himachal Pradesh, Madra of Chamba Recipe

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:28:45 +0000

The cuisine of the North Indian state Himachal Pradesh has developed into a synthesis of Tibetan and Punjabi Cuisines – an unlikely fusion. This combining of two very differing styles has developed through the growth of the Tibetan and Punjabi subcultures found within the state.

Traditionally, Himachali cuisine is dominated by red meat and wheat bread. Thick and rich gravy, with aromatic spices, is used in abundance as the base of many dishes. Now, steamed momos (dumplings) and noodles are also readily available and popular with travellers who want to graduate to Indian food slowly.

Local delicacies include Madra, which is made from red-kidney beans or Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas) in a gravy of curd (yoghurt). Try this easy recipe for Madra of Chamba to bring a taste of North India to your home.

MADRA OF CHAMBA RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 Small Bowls of Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas) or Red Kidney Beans
4 Bowls of Yoghurt (whipped till smooth)
1 Bowl Ghee / Clarified Butter (Not refined oil)
1 Teaspoon Aniseed
2 Pieces Black Cardamom
2 Pieces Green Cardamom
1 Small Piece Cinnamon
1 Leaf – Indian Bay Leaf
Turmeric Powder
Salt to Taste
Sugar to Taste
Additional – Dry fruits like cashews, almonds, grated coconut and raisins

Preparation:

First it is necessary to prepare the beans. If you are choosing to use tinned chickpeas you can skip this step. Soak the beans in water for a duration of a tleast 8 hours (usually overnight works) before pressure cooking the soaked beans in some water for about ½ hour. Add salt to taste. Put your prepared bean base to one side.
For the Curry, add ghee to a cooking pan and heat to melt it completely (you can also use clarified unsalted butter: Heat the butter gently until all melted and allow the milky solids to sink to the bottom. The clear top portion is now clarified and this can be used instead of ghee.) Add aniseed, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and roast for till light crispy brown. After this, add the turmeric and shortly after, the beaten yoghurt. Briskly stir the concoction to mix well. The yoghurt tends to leave oil, so it is important to stir constantly with vigour so that the curd does not curdle.
Sieve the beans and add them to the curry and cook on low flame for about 15 minutes. Add more salt to taste. A little sugar and dry fruits on top will add to the flavour of the dish. Serve with rice or chappatis.

Homestays offer fantastic home cooked cuisine for guests and hosts are happy to share recipes and even show you some of the cooking techniques. Browse our Himachal Pradesh Homestay Collection to find homestays where you are guaranteed great North Indian food!

Mango Mania in Maharashtra: Mango Sreekhand Recipe

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 01:16:44 +0000

As summer arrives summer and a India gets into a fruit frenzy with a variety of fresh fruits available to harvest and relish. Of these, the mango is a national favourite with many cities celebrating the season with mango festivals.

Northern and Central states are the key mango producing regions, some places even exporting a substantial number grown in the region. The tropical weather is well suited for growing mangoes and the fruits popularity has seen it used and enjoyed in different forms.

There is plenty of ingenuity in mango related cooking. One of the most famous varieties of Mango in India is called Alphonso, first brought to Konkan (on the Western Coast) and Maharashtra by Afonso de Albuquerque. Ever since, the fruit has been enjoyed by generations in many forms – as a snack, in drinks, savoury dishes and as dessert!

Here is an easy mango dessert dish right from the heart of Maharashtra – the Mango Sreekhand.

One of the quickest desserts you can whip up, everyone’s going to dive straight into a yummy summer season of mangoes.

Mango Sreekhand

Ingredients
2 ripe Alphonso Mangoes
1/3 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Milk
8 Oz Cream Cheese
A pinch of Saffron strands
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
Charoli for garnish (optional). They are also known as Buchanania seeds.

Preparation

Place the milk in a bowl, add the saffron, and gently warm through (you can microwave this for 30 seconds). This way all saffron extract will get dissolved in warm milk.
Next peel the mangoes and cut into small chunks. Slice the cream cheese it into similar sized chunks as the mangoes (ideally leave the cream cheese to stand at room temperature for about an hour befor you do this).
Blend the cream cheese, mangoes, sugar, cardamom and the milk-saffron mixture together to make a thick smoothie.
Place into a serving bowl and garnish with Charoli. Ideally leave to chill and serve this cold – it tastes even better. The consistency should be thick and not smoothie like once chilled (so you have to scoop with a spoon).
Sreekhand can also be served with hot pooris (fried Indian bread).

Homestays offer fantastic home cooked cuisine for guests and hosts are happy to share recipes and even show you some of the cooking techniques. Browse our Maharashtra Homestay Collection to find homestays where you are guaranteed great food and fresh mangos in season!