POTLI REVIEW

I wanted to visit Potli ever since I came across it on TV's Alex Polizzi's: Chefs on Trial. Finally, I visited it today. Here is the review.

Lamb Biryani

Trio of Chicken Tikka

Aloo Tikki with Chana Masala



Indian Art in Toilet!

Food

This is what we ate: Lamb Biryani, Aloo Tikki coated with vermicelli and served with chana masala, Mango and coconut Lassi, Prawn Balchao and Trio of Chicken Tikkas and Mango Kulfi for dessert.
The food was well presented and tasty. The portion sizes were just right. The lamb in biryani was succulent and really well cooked, just as it should be for biryani. The only criticism was that there were far too many cardamom pods in the biryani! If you are on a date, this is a dish to avoid, as it is pretty unsavoury to watch your partner picking out cardamom pods from their mouth as they eat!!
The Trio of chicken Tikka was very good; they were slightly bigger in size than the chicken tikka I have eaten elsewhere. The Cucumber Raita was soothing and an ideal accompaniment to the biryani; Aloo Tikki was good too, the vermicelli coating made them crispy and different than our usual tikkis. There were complimentary condiments served with the meal, such as tamarind chutney, mango chutney, tomato chutney etc, all were packed with flavour.
Prawn Balchao was a extremely hot dish, so stay away from it if you do not like your food hot. It was spicy hot to the extent that it ruined the flavour of this dish and we were unable to eat it properly. However, the prawns in this curry were tasty and of excellent quality.
We finished the meal with Mango Kulfi, which is Indian ice-cream, it had a subtle hint of condensed milk and mango, ideal for summer.

Cost
A meal for two including VAT and a discretionary service charge of £12.5 % will be approximately in the range of £35- £50. The prices were competitive; mid-range.

Ambience
The décor was pleasant, a typical Indian home style cusions, Limca and Thumbs Up bottles, utensils, Indian art and décor made it pleasant and comfortable. There is interesting Indian banners throughout the restaurant, including in the toilet (See picture above)

Service 
The waitress, who served us was friendly, well presented and knowledgeable. The service was fairly quick too.


Overall, it is a lovely little restaurant, ideal for a business lunch, quick family meal or get-together.

Location

POTLI- An Indian Market Kitchen
319-321 King Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9NH
020 8741 4328
www.potli.co.uk

Nearest Station: Ravenspark Court (5 minutes walk)



Overview:
Food  4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Service  5/5
Value  4/5

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

SHAHI PANEER KORMA

Shahi (royal) Paneer Korma is a mildly spicy and indulgent paneer curry; fit for a king or a queen! It is a treat for vegetarians or even meat eaters. India being mainly a vegetarian country, paneer is a firm favourite and a meat substitute. It is easy to prepare at home too and if you are watching weight, you can even make it with semi skimmed milk. It is also readily available in most supermarkets.



© The Spice Angel

INGREDIENTS

250g paneer
100g thick yogurt
50g single cream
25g cashewnut paste (Blend soaked cashewnuts in equal amount of water until smooth)
1 tablespoon of green chilli and ginger paste
1 tsp kasuri methi
1 tsp roasted cumin seed powder
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp sugar
2 tablespoon Sunflower oil
Salt as per your taste

METHOD

1. Cut the paneer into 2 inch cubes. Marinate with the mixture of yogurt, cream, ginger and chilli paste and keep aside until you are ready for the next step.

2. In a pan, add the oil, when hot enough, add the whole spices and wait for 20 seconds, until a nice aroma develops.

3. Add the finely chopped onions and keep stirring till the onions are cooked and translucent.

4. Add the marinated paneer and cook till the mixture comes together. Add the sugar, salt, kasuri methi, roasted cumin seed powder, cashewnut puree and mix well. Serve with naan or roti.

Benares Restaurant Review

I was keen to visit Benares restaurant for a long time. Finally, I took the plunge and decided to visit this gorgeous restaurant tucked in the heart of London in cosy Mayfair.

My first impressions of the restaurant was that the décor and ambience were amazing. It had a lovely welcoming reception area and very helpful staffs. There was a selection of books written by Atul Kocchar on display and stairs leading to the restaurant seating area.

I tried their lunch time set 3 course Menu. While I waited for the order to come through, I was given mini poppadum's with three delicious chutneys to munch on, which was complimentary.

For starter, I had Crispy King Edward Potatoes and Baby Corn Chaat, Chickpeas, Date and Tamarind Relish. The presentation and flavours were awesome. I particularly liked the idea of using fried baby corn in this dish, and the fried potatoes tasted just like you would find on the busy streets of India from a renowned chaat vendor.

For the Main course, I had: Curry Leaf and Black Mustard Tempered Plaice,

Sugar Snap Poriyal, Malabar Sauce. Again, the presentation was simply awesome, true to its Michelin standards, and tasted great too. What I particularly liked about the dish was that it wasn't overly spiced, the balance between the spicing and the flavours were just perfect. The fish was skinless that made it extra succulent and tasty to eat. The sauce had a lovely orange colour without too much heat. There was also fluffy naan bread, perfectly cooked Pilau Rice and home style dal with robust flavours.

For the dessert, I went for: Masala Chai Brûlée, which was just the perfect ending to an extra ordinary meal. There was a gorgeous complimentary platter of fresh petit fours provided after the meal which again was delicious.

The staff ensured that I was comfortable and was enjoying the food without being overbearing which was great.

The meal costed £43 with £1 donation to a worthy UK charity 'Find your Feet', which is doing exemplary job of supporting under privileged women in developing countries. And a discretionary service charge of 12.5%.

I would highly recommend Benares. It is a great place to have a fantastic meal out for a special occasion. I will certainly visit again to try more of their wonderful food.

Location:

12a, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BS
020 7629 8886

www.benaresrestaurant.com


Overview:

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Ambience: 5/5

Value: 3/5

Disclosure: I haven't received any incentive to write this post. I am a supporter of Find Your Feet and Curry For Change charity. 

Mumbai Street Vegetarian Sandwich

You will find this delicious and nutritious sandwich available on the busy streets of Mumbai all year round. It has a generous lashings of green coriander chutney which adds tremendous flavours. Do try it out, it is simple to prepare and ideal for a quick lunch.

Copyright @ The spice Angel

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Any White Medium sliced bread
2 medium boiled potatoes, lengthways
2 plum tomatoes, sliced lengthways
2 boiled beetroots, sliced lengthways
1/2 cucumber, sliced lengthways
Chaat masala, as required
4 tablespoon salted butter (should be at room temperature and soft enough to spread)
4 teaspoon Green chutney
4 teaspoon tomato ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Green Chutney

1 bunch washed and roughly chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
handful of de-skinned and roasted peanuts
Salt and sugar (1 tsp, or) to taste

METHOD

1) Slice the sided of the bread and keep aside.

2) Season the chopped vegetables with salt and pepper and a dash of chaat masala, which is readily available in any Asian grocery shop.

3) Prepare the green chutney by putting the coriander leaves, lime juice, green chilli, peanuts, salt and sugar; grind to a find paste adding a little water to create a smooth and thick chutney similar to the consistency of a double cream.

4) Spread the chutney on one side of the bread, and the butter on the second bread slice. Add about 2 slices each of boiled potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber and beetroot on one bread slice. Sprinkle with chaat masala, put the second bread slice over and cut each sandwich into six slices (as shown in the picture).

5) Spread more green chutney with the help of knife and tomato ketchup on the sliced sandwich and enjoy.

Masala Fried Prawns

If you like prawns, you will love this quick and easy recipe. This recipe originates from Mumbai and was cooked regularly by my parents. They always used raw prawns as cooked prawns are not readily available in Mumbai. Any prawns raw or even cooked ones available in UK will do just well. It is a great appetiser.




©The Spice Angel



Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of ready cooked prawns
2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Handful of fresh coriander leaves
Chaat masala to sprinkle
2 tablespoon fine semolina
Oil for frying
Salt to taste


METHOD

1) Rinse the prawns under running water. Season with the dry spices: Turmeric  powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garlic powder, lime juice and salt. Keep aside for a few minutes.

2) Heat a wide bottomed pan on a medium heat. Add any oil of your choice. Lay semolina in a plate, season with a little salt.

3) Dip the marinated prawns in semolina and fry in batched until golden brown on both sides. Garnish with chaat masala, and coriander leaves. Serve with coriander chutney, or any dipping sauce of your choice.