PURAN POLI

Puran Poli is traditionally eaten on Holi. It is prepared by soaking chana dal and then cooking it with jaggery, which is unprocessed sugar. It is usually served with warm milk and ghee. The water that remains from cooking the chana dal can be used to prepare a traditional runny dal, called 'Katachi Amti'.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup soaked and drained chana dal
1 cup jaggery
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup water, or as needed
Ghee, as required
a pinch of salt
Rice flour, as required, for dusting


METHOD

1. Cook the chana dal in double the amount of water till fully cooked. This should take about 30 minutes on a medium heat.
2. Drain the water from the cooked dal and mash finely either using a masher or in a grinder.
3. In another pan, add the mashed dal and jaggery. The jaggery will start to melt and release moisture, making the mixture runny. Let it cook for about 15 minutes till it starts to thicken up.
4. Switch off the gas and add cardamom and nutmeg powders. Mix well, and let the mixture cool down and easy to handle.
5. Make a dough with the flour, water, and a pinch of salt. Make equal portions of the dough. Also, make equal portions of the cooled mixture.
6. Stuff the sweet mixture into the dough balls, flatten with palms, dust with the rice flour and roll to form a shape similar to a crepe.
7. Cook till golden brown on both sides, apply 1 teaspoon of ghee on each side.
8. Serve with warm milk mixed with a teaspoon of ghee.

Spinach Dal

Lentils are an excellent source of fibre and protein. I have prepared this dal with spinach which makes it iron rich too. It tastes delicious with plain basmati rice. Red lentils are easy to cook and does not need pre-soaking making it convenient for busy families to rustle up a tasty meal in no time.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup boiled red lentils
1 onion, finely chopped
4/6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida)
3 tbsp. oil
2 green chillies, slit in the centre
150 g bag of ready washed spinach
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
salt and sugar to taste
Wedge of lime/lemon to serve
Singe cream to serve- optional

METHOD

1. Boil the red lentils with salt and turmeric till done. Skim off the foam as the lentils boil.
2. Roughly chop the spinach leaves. Keep aside.
3. For tempering: Add oil in a pan. Temper the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chopped onions,  minced garlic, tomatoes, asafoetida and green chillies and spinach leaves. Stir until the spinach is wilted.
4. Add this tempering in the cooked dal along with salt and sugar to taste and mix well. Add a swirl of cream if you like.
5. Serve hot with mango pickle, wedge of lime and plain boiled rice.

Gymkhana is a widely acclaimed Michelin star restaurant in the heart of London. After reading another blogger’s experience with the service of Gymkhana, I was initially reluctant to try it. However, I thought let’s give it a go as majority of the reviews were in its favour. And, I am pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed.  

Ambience: The restaurant was already quite busy at 12.10 pm. The atmosphere was pretty casual and the décor was subtle. There were pictures from the British Raj on the wall. The toilets were clean and well maintained. It is a medium sized restaurant with slightly crammed but comfortable seating.

Service: The waiters and waitresses were all dressed smartly, were polite and explained each dish as it arrived. I didn’t feel rushed at all.

Food: The food was great. I especially thought the following items were extraordinary: Shrimp chutney, Chicken Chops, Leg Chaat and Lasooni Dal. However, some items were salty. The portions were generous and the presentation was visually appealing.  

I was seated on a comfortable corner chair. The poppadum’s were quick to arrive. They were different than the ones served in conventional Indian restaurants which usually serve lentil poppadum’s. There were 3 different types to try: cassava, lentil and rice. I really like the combination of it with shrimp and mango chutney. The shrimp chutney was my favourite.

The Mango Lassi was one of the best I have ever had; I loved the stainless steel container it was served in. The garnish of crushed pistachio was not only visually appealing but also tasty.

My starter was Beetroot Chops served with mini buns, chutney and couple of sweet pepper fritters. The dish tasted good and looked amazing.

The next to arrive was the Chicken Chops with Chicken Leg Chaat and Green Chutney. The chicken was cooked to perfection was moist and had a fantastic chargrilled flavour. The Leg Chaat was a revelation. It had juicy bits of chicken, potato straws, onions and was delicious. To accompany there was also beautifully seasoned Dal Lasooni, Naan bread and Aloo Methi. All was delicious and I was struggling to finish my plate.

For dessert I had Cardamom and Strawberry Kheer which was good, not overly sweet. The combination of tangy strawberry compote and creamy rice kheer was soothing.

I finished the meal with a very cute identical duo of petit fours. They were divine! I loved the subtle flavour of almonds in it.

I had chosen a 3 course lunch menu which is priced at £30 per person. Discretionary service charge of 12.5 % was added to the final bill, plus an optional charge of £1 to the worthy charity Akshaya Patra which provides food and education to underprivileged children in India.  

To sum up, I was happy with my meal. It is definitely a good choice for special occasions, a day out with friends or indulging office lunches. The interior was not as nice as its neighbouring close rival Benares, mainly because Benares in bigger with a larger reception area downstairs. But, the service was better in Gymkhana. 

Location:

42 albemarle street | london | w1s 4jh
E: info@gymkhanalondon.com
t: 020 3011 5900

Nearest station: Green Park underground station

http://www.gymkhanalondon.com/

Overview:

Food: 4.5/5

Ambience: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Value: 3.5/5

Disclosure: I didn't receive any incentive to write this post. I paid for the meal.

PHULKA

Phulka is staple, unleavened bread. They are best cooked on a gas hob. It requires some practice to get this bread right. It is a healthy bread, as you control the amount of fat to add. I cook these just the way my mother used to cook without any oil or butter. This bread tastes great with any curry of your choice. 

Serves 4-6

 

INGREDIENTS

250g chapati flour, plus extra for dusting and rolling,

Salt to taste

150 ml warm water for kneading

1 teaspoon oil

  

METHOD

 

1. Put the flour into a large bowl, add the water and mix with your hands until the dough starts to come together, keep kneading for at least 2 to 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky, so grease your palms with little oil, as this will help to knead the dough; Keep the dough aside. 

2. Divide the dough into roughly 8 to 10 equal pieces or as per the size you would like your phulka, then form them into balls and press to flatten slightly. Put a flat griddle pan over a low heat while you roll the bread.

3. Dust some flour over the ball, place it on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a thin and round disc. 

4. Place the prepared disc on the pan, increase the flame slightly, cook one side till done, then take the pan off the flame; with the help of a pair of tongs, gently slid the uncooked side of the  phulka over an open flame, revolving gently, so that it is cooked evenly from all sides. Little brown spots will appear all over the phulkas. Some may puff up and some may not, which is perfectly fine as far as they are cooked evenly on both sides. 

5. Repeat the process, until all the phulkas are prepared. Keep covered in an insulated casserole dish, or in an airtight container until ready to serve. If you like, smear a butter stick gently on one side of the phulka for extra flavour.

BHUTTA UPMA

Sweetcorn is a favourite street food on India. My mum used to make this delicious sweetcorn upma. In some parts of India such as Indore, it is also known as 'Bhutte Ka Kees'. 'It is a perfect Indian breakfast, filling and delicious. It is good enough to eat on its own. I also like it with a slice of buttered toast.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup frozen sweetcorn

1 tbsp. besan/chickpea flour

1 tbsp. oil

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 tbsp. butter

1 green chilli finely chopped

1/2 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 cup milk

1 cup warm water

Handful of chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Salt to taste

METHOD

Defrost the sweetcorn in a microwave. Blend it in a food processor to a course consistency.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the minced sweetcorn, turmeric powder and water. Cook stirring continuously for 10 minutes. Add the milk and keep stirring till the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan. Switch off the gas.

In a separate pan, add the butter. When hot enough, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilli. When the seeds starts to crackle, switch off the gas and add the lime juice and coriander leaves. Add this tempering to the sweetcorn mixture and mix thoroughly. Upma/kees is not ready to eat.

Onion Pakora

Onion Pakora is a sheer comfort food. It is easy to make; moreover is gluten free snack, so everybody can enjoy it. It is a great finger food, or works equally well as a sandwich stuffing. If any leftovers (which is unlikely!) they will stay in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Serving: 5-8

INGREDIENTS

Onion (large, chopped thinly lengthways) – 2
Gram flour – 8 tbsp
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Chopped coriander Leaves – generous handful
Ajwain – 2 tsp
Baking soda – 1/4^th tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Finger green chillies (Heat level 3)
finely chopped x 2
Water – to combine
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying + 2 tbsp hot oil 

METHOD

1.   In a mixing bowl, add the onions, gram flour, ajwain, coriander leaves, chopped chillies and baking soda. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add to the onion mixture.

2.   Squeeze the onion and flour mixture with hands in order to release natural waters; mix in just enough water to combine the mixture to a dropping consistency.

3.   In a separate pan, heat oil for deep frying, fry spoonful of the mixture in the hot oil until crispy and golden brown. Serve hot with your favourite dip; it tastes good on its own too.

Tip:

Gram flour is also known as ‘Besan’ and ‘chickpea flour’. It is gluten free flour with high proportion of protein and other essential nutrients. It is obtained from Bengal gram (Yellow chana dal).