AppaKada - A must-visit for all the Appam lovers out there!

Located in a rather secluded bylane, the 'Appa Kada' wouldn't show up on your usual food radar that easily .My friend took me there right after prepping me with enough positive reviews about this individual-run establishment. 

We went in the morning and thus got a limited set of combo-choices. But as we were there primarily to taste their legendary Appams, without much deliberation we chose Appam and Chicken curry.

Each plate which costs 60INR includes 3 Appams and a decent portion of Kerala Chicken curry. The Chicken tastes good with the right amount of spices and goes well with the hot, perfectly cooked Appams.

The place also serves Appam+Veg Curry/ Milk Combos and Idiappams in the morning and slightly extends the menu with Chicken Stew, Porottas and Chappathis by night.

'Appakada'
Hennur Road (After Ring Rd, Chellakere, Hennur Main Road, Bangalore - 560043)
Bangalore

Steamy Hot Momo!

Had a quick bite  from this relatively new Momo hawker near Bellandur. 

Deceivingly located under the flyover, the joint is equipped with a single table and a steaming contraption.  

Serves hot momos with 3 different fillings. Chicken, Paneer and Mixed Vegetables. A plate of INR 40/- has 8 pieces served with Garlic and Chilli Sauces. 

The momos were soft,hot and filling. Chicken was well cooked, tender and balanced on spiciness.
This indeed is my discovery of the month!

Recipe for a Quickie - Berry Blast

A perfect non-alcoholic thirst quencher when you really don't have the time to be creative and original.

Things Needed:

1 Cup of Cold Curd

2 Teaspoons of any Fruit Jam

3 Tablespoons of Sugar

4 Teaspoons   Cold Water as needed

.. And a pinch of Vanilla powder

To Do:

Take the curd, add some water and stir continuously to reduce the thickness. During the process, add sugar as well. Pour the mixture on to the blender and add in 2 spoons of Fruit Jam. Add a pinch of vanilla powder.Blend the mixture for 2 minutes. Pour the mixture on to a tall glass and let it settle for a minute. 

Rum-Pum Soup of Thong Lo Street

On my first night at Bangkok, I decided to stroll through the wet streets of Thong Lo to fulfill my primary and ultimate objective of the trip - FOOD (You can read more about the trip in here). And in less than 2 minutes, there I was, waiting in front of a roadside hawker selling this delicious soup. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the Rum-Pum Soup of Thong Lo.

As like many vendors in Bangkok, they do focus on one product, the soup. The ingredients were right in front of us but at first glance, they were confusing as nothing seemed working together. At one point,  I even noticed rotten eggs!

The soup seemed like a mix of various seafood, pork, chicken and eggs. And the bowl came in three sizes. I chose the medium one which was TBH 40/-

The soup was a decent mix of all meat. It had a good balance between the tanginess and spices. Seasoned with Coriander, Spring Onions and Shallots, the soup had a strong fish sauce flavor to it. On the downside, you might end up with a lot of liquid once after you have finished all your pieces and the only option is to leave it (which could be a little heart-breaking). 

Rating: 3/5 

Taste of Kerala at Vembanadu:The Paul

When I am eating outside I dont usually prefer keralite cuisine. For one reason that paying 350 INR for an  'Avial', which I consider as a 'throw-out-without-touching' part in the daily meal, doesnt make any sense. 

But when I stepped out of Vembanad lounge at The Paul, my perception got a big make over! 

Vembanad is the in-house keralite restaurant of The Paul. You will be taken to your table by the well-mannered and soft spoken staff. The ambience is comforting with dimmed mood lighting and retro malayalam instrumentals. 

They had an amazing range in their slightly over-priced menu. As I was browsing through the familiar yet forgotten names, my table was equipped with a set of assorted regional starters. Every single element tasted awesome, especially the Powdered Prawns and Fish Pickle.

I ordered a Central-Kerala delicacy for my Non-Vegetarian start up for the day. Meen Nirachathu (Filled Fish). Well cooked fish filled with a paste of green mango and coconut inside. Hmmm, that was heaven inside the mouth for 47 seconds.

For the main part, I chose Pathiri (Rice Toasts) along with Crab Ularthiyathu and Duck Curry. The Crab was shell-free which made the eating process a lot easier. The combination was awesome. 

Overall the experience was good enough that I would recommend the place to every foodie that I know. Slightly over priced but worth every single penny. An average meal for one should be somewhere around 1000 INR. 

Vembanad: The Paul is located in Domlur near Diamond District, Bangalore.

Mutton Ularthiyathu

Things Needed:

a.     Oil 3 Table Spoon

b.     Curry Leaves 15 leaves

c.     Big Onions 2

d.     Chilli Powder 2 Table Spoon

e.     Turmeric Powder 2 Tea Spoon

f.      Coriander powder 2 Table Spoon

g.     Coconut Half cup grated

h.     Salt To taste

i.      Mutton 250 grams

j.      Pepper powder 1 tea spoon

k.     Garam Masala/Meat Masala 1 Tea Spoon

 Method:

Bring oil to heat in a pan, and add dried red chilli, mustard seeds, curry leaves and sauté for 1 minute. Add green chilli, ginger and garlic finely chopped to the pan and after a minute add finely chopped onions also. Add garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and pepper powder to the mixture in the pan. The mutton pieces (cooked with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt) and half cup grated coconut can be added. In low flame mix the mixture for 10 minutes. 

 Courtesy: Chitra

Kerala Prawns Roast

Things Needed:

a.     Prawns 250 gm

b.     Oil 3 Table Spoon

c.     Curry Leaves 15 leaves

d.     Small Onions 20

e.     Chilli Powder 3 Table Spoon

f.      Turmeric Powder 2 Tea Spoon

g.     Lime Juice 1 Tea Spoon

h.     Coconut 5-10 small chopped pieces

i..      Salt To taste

Method:

Bring oil in a pan to boil. Add finely chopped ginger and garlic to the pan with curry leaves. After sautéing the mixtures for a couple of minutes add chopped small onions and sauté, then add turmeric powder, chilli powder paste. Then add cleaned prawns (marinated in chilli powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt). Close the lid and keep it cooking in low flame for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes add chopped coconut pieces to the pan and mix it well.


Courtesy: Chitra