Whitefish livers

Whitefish livers!

Cruise Caption Sherman of Apostle Island National Lakeshore informed me about whitefish livers. One can only find them in Wisconsin's Bayfield, USA. A small sleepy fishing town of the Great Lakes' Lake Superior.
Legend is that it all started in 1940, by a local restaurateur Greunke who learned this culinary art from visiting Scandinavian fishermen.

Whitefish is a silver-colored fish averaging about a half kilogram of weight.
Its meat is white and delicate in taste, not strong or fishy.The livers, which are about the size of a chicken's, are also delicate but hard to freeze and perishes easily. Locals consider it as an aphrodisiac.These fish are netted in open waters in the summer and through the ice-fish in the winter.

Why this delicacy is rare?
because, it takes about 70 fish to produce a kilo of livers. Also the fish is going extinct and this makes it 'too much time for too little money.'

Mary Rice, owner of most popular restaurant- Maggie's, a spot with pink famingo's includes Whitefish Livers in her menu.
As we went inside this small pink den, first thing we did was to order this rare and unique dish.

They look like pale pink chicken livers dusted with cornmeal and flour, served batter-dipped and lightly fried with salt, peppers and mushrooms on toast with lemon wedges and tartar sauce. They were indeed delicious.

Top 5 foods for Indians to carry while travelling abroad

Top 5 foods for Indians to carry while travelling abroad (Long Term)


1.Masala Maggie - This is number one choice esp Cup-o-Noodles and instant noodles. Although I have used Maggie as a generic name but you can pack any Masala Indian noodles. All you need is hot water to make this delicious food. Some brave souls eat it just like snacks without boiling or mixing hot water. There are several brands like Maggie, Nissin, Top Ramen, Knorr, Horlicks, Chings etc. You will find Maggie and alike in several Asian countries but the masala flavor is indigenous to India.

2. Pickles (achār) - They're the perfect partner for a well cooked meal and a 'perker-upper' for a not so perfect one! You can always carry the unopened Mango pickles, Chilli Pickles , Home made pickles. Go for Branded ones as they will be allowed through customs of several countries. However I would recommend you to specifically check the custom rules for the respective countries.

3. Ghee (घृत) - You can top your Rice, Daal, Sabzi or anything Hot with spoonfull of Desi Ghee.A good quality ghee adds a great aroma, flavor and taste to the food. United Kingdom donot allow you to carry Ghees, however other countries do allow. 

4. Sweets for Sweet-tooth:- Go for canned Rasagullas and Gulab Jamuns. Son Papadi and Angoori Pethas are also good enough to carry on short visits. If you have provisions for refrigeration, you might want to pick your favorite local sweets. Some one might try Ghar ka Gajar Halwa or Mummy ke Laddoos.

5. Packaged Snacks (Namkeen)- Your craving for Aaloo Bhujia, Bhujjia, Namkeen, Khatta Meetha, Navratan Mixtures, Daalmuth, Chana Daal, Moong Daal, Samosas etc are a sure baggage fillers. Although Haldiram's is available in major countries but you might need to search for the right place. You can pack your favorite street snacks or Bhelpuri etc. One can also pick Kurkure or Takatak. South Indians might prefer packing kilos of Chaklis, Murruku, Banana Chips and other condiments.

PS:- The Brands are used for generic purposes, They are no way endorsed by me and my blog.

Biryani places in Bangalore-Top 4

A research and my favorite Biryani places in Bangalore. The listed restaurant and eateries have in no way contacted me to write this blog and the ratings are entirely personal and belongs to me. I will also not claim that I have eaten Biryani from all the Biryani serving places in Bangalore. However I have tried most of it at all the possible, famous and not-so-famous places.

1. Meghana special Biryani-->This small place in Koramangala is a sinful place if you are Biryani fan. The biryani served is more of pakki-dum style biryani influenced by Hyderabadi spices. You should be surprised that the meat are cooked separately and often served separately. A little bit on the drier side, but use the saalan.The Rice grains are long and smeared with right dose of chili, onion and hot spices. The Special version is boneless chicken fired along with whipped egg and gives an unique identity to its flavor. The taste is towards the fierier side and usually served along with light thin raita and good Mirchi Saalan.

The place is usually overcrowded and the only thing you can order confidently is chicken/mutton/egg biryani. The ambience is little too average and you might need to share the table with others, services are quick and prompt.

Tip: - Eat the Biryani with your hand, the true Indian way. You can also order Double Masala if you want something real hot.

http://www.meghanafoods.net/

2. Hyderabad Biryaani House--> Hyderabd Biryaani House at Old Airport Road is not a place for fainthearted, located above Dominos in a quite dingy place. Here you should only come for sheer love of Hyderabadi Biryani. The biryani is very close to the authentic taste of a Hyderabadi biryani. For the proof you can wait in a long queue if you come at regular lunch/dinner times. The meat is tender and succulent with spices. As the owners claim that the meat is marinated with 35 kinds of different spices for over 3 hours. Then it is slow cooked with Basmati rice

For the veggies, they can order Veg or /Egg biryani with Veg rice and a choice of Double or single masala. The aroma of Biryani will surround you and make you eat in haste. The side dishes are salad and Salan along with Onion Raita.

Tip: - Ignore the ambiance and Binge on Biriyani.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.plfile=2006010300580400.htm&date=2006/01/03/&prd=mp&

3. Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs--> This odd name is rated best in Bangalore and is a five star Dining wing of ITC Windsor focusing on Awadhi cuisine. With regal ambience and world class service, you cannot miss the impeccable touch.

The biriyani is served in a silver, “Dastarkan”  fine cutlery which is handi shaped, and Dum cooked as the name suggests. 

The meat is rich with maximum flavor and fill of aroma. The waiter will open the seal of handi on your table and this will be the moment you will enjoy the richness of several herbs and spices gone inside the Awadhi Biryani.  It gives you a wholesome experience of royal appetite. The taste is rich and homogenous unlike the previous places catering Hyderabadi Biryanis.

You can also order Kakori Kababs and lamb chops along with your biryani. Make sure your wallet is heavy.

Tip:- Just ask the chef about the details that goes inside Biryani and enjoy it while Old hindi classic or live Ghazals lightens the whole mood.

http://www.itchotels.in/welcomcuisine/dumpukht/cuisine_origin_brief.html 

4. Biriyani Zone-->A small no frill place in Whitefield area just after Marthahalli branding itself as Biriyani cooked in traditional fire wood. This is a perfect balanced biryani with right texture and quantity. I tried mutton as well as chicken biryanis here and both are blended well with a good quality of rice. The mutton pieces and shanks are nicely smeared with spices and grease They are served along with standard Riata , salaam and Salads. You can order boiled eggs separately if you want.

Tip:- It’s a definitely not a place for vegetarians, the rice they serve here in Egg Biryani is actually from chicken Biryani. Use your hand for quick bites.

http://justeat.in/restaurant/biriyani-zone/5260/multi-cuisine/marathahalli/bangalore 

For Future read :- Click here if you are interested in Biryani and its culture.
For the record I have tried places like Samarkand, Ammi's Biryani, Bhagini's, Hyderabad House, Cafe Masala, Sahab Sindh Sultan, Imperials, Empire,Umerkot, copper chimney, Hyd Mahal, Jalsa...... etc.

Biryani:- A research

There are more than 26 varities of Biryanis in India. This delicacy has a vague history but today it remains a true Indian food. Some Pundits believe that Biriyani was originated in Iran (Persia) and it came to India by Mughals and Persian merchants. The Mughal imperial kitchen has influenced the style of cookery  in the Indian Subcontinent on the terms with Persian and Turkic cuisines of Central Asia, and has in turn strongly influenced the regional cuisines of Kashmir and the Punjab region (now partitioned between India and Pakistan).  Others believe that Biriyani came to Southern India through Arab travelers to Calicut. Based on the name and cooking style (Dum), one can conclude that the dish originated in Persia and/or Arabia.

On the lighter side I have read several legends regarding the invention of Biriyani. One legend has it that Timur known as Tamerlane  in English (Timūr-e Lang, "Timur the Lame"), was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty (1370–1405) in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until 1857. Timur who was also son-in-law of Genghis Khan brought Biriyani down from Kazakhstan via Afghanistan to Northern India.

According to another legend, Mumtaz Mahal , love of Shahjehan and the motivation behind Taj-Mahal devised  this dish as a "complete meal" to feed the army. Yet, some say the dish really originated in West Asia by the Nomads who would bury an earthen pot full of meat, rice and spices in a pit, eventually the pot was dug up and there was the Biryani. Personally while eating Biryani at “Hyderabad House” I read another legend printed on their table mat. It goes like this during  a war, the Royal cook made an easy cuisine for slaves and soldiers, yet healthy so that the troops can eat at once without getting burden of cooking rice, daal meat and vegetable  separately, and  we had Biryani. And that’s why, though it is considered a royal dish of the Nizams and the Nawabs; it was never ever served to the royal guests?

When Aurangzeb delegated the Nawab of Arcot, Nizam-ul-mulk as the Asfa Jahi, the Arcot biryani was invented with the outside Muslim influence and the local blend of south. You can feel the strong south Indian chilies here. Locally grown 'long duration paddy' with shorter grain rice called 'seeraga samba' is used.  During Mogul empire, Lucknow was called Awadh, thus we got Awadhi Biryani. While in 1856, British deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in Calcutta, giving rise to milder Calcutta Biryani.

Thus we see that different regions have their own flavoring and a special touch to distinguish their biryani from others and call it best. Asafetida and fennel powder is used in Kashmir, green chilies and southern spices like coriander powder, turmeric powder are widely used in Hyderabadi biryanis, Kalpaasi & Marathi Mokku in Dindigul Biryani, Khus Khus in Malabar biryani, cashew-cumin- fennel paste in Arcot biryani, black cumin and fennel in Awadhi biryani, almonds and cashew along with coconut in Malaysian Nasi biryani, local Kerala spices such as nutmeg, cashew, cloves and cinnamon in Kozhikode Biryani and saffron along with light spices in Calcutta Biryani, to mention a few.

Though we can notice that each region follow almost similar recipe, with minor variations. Actually there is no written rule to follow to cook a biryani; All you can look for is a great aroma of spices, Non-sticky rice grains layered with meat and bones. As long as these requirements are made we can experience variety of Biriyani across India. One can experiment with a variety of Biriyanis in India as one experience the different flavors of culture and languages. There are several new biryanis which are boneless versions and sometimes Eggs are used instead of meat. There were vegetarian Hindus and Jains who gave us the Tahri biryani (a vegetarian version).

Now we know that we can put anything in Biryani. Although, Mutton / chicken are most common meat used. In Kerala you will notice the fish / prawn Biryani along with Beef Biryani. It was further developed through the spice route and has a Yemeni/Irani flavor.  The use of Beef is also common place in places which are now in Pakistan. You may find rabbit Biryani and Dove Biryani inside Madurai and Turkey Biryani in Tamilnadu. For the record The Nizam of Hyderabad boasted of 49 varieties of Biryani made from quail, deer, hare etc.

Calcutta Biryanis include potatoes, along with chicken or Mutton. There is an interesting story to this story,evolved by Wajid Ali shah’ s (the last nawab of Awadh) chef who would put Potato to absorb the stocks and spiciness of meat .Due to recession the potato in Biryani was continued and later became the distinguishable ingredient of Calcutta Biryani.

With a paste of sesame seeds, black cumin and dry fenugreek leaves in Memoni biryani which is invented by Sindh and Gujarat we get a distinctively spicy mutton Biryani  also called the Kutchi Biryani. Up North in Kashmir, the mutton is marinated overnight along with spices and Hing (asafetida).

Marination  is one of the key process used to make Biryani. It starts with the process of soaking the meat with oil, yogurt with ginger- garlic paste and spices. It tenders the chicken or mutton and the spices go inside the flesh giving a unique flavor. Normally a rest of 2-3 hrs inside refrigerator is recommended but we know Kashmiris go for an overnight option. In South, Biryanis are not cooked with marination. Sometimes Raw Papaya or Pomegranate is used as tenderizing agents.

Biryanis are also cooked differently with different utensils and firewoods. The basic understanding is that all the regions use their traditional cooking utensils either made of copper / bronze / aluminum / mud etc with different shapes and sizes like wide, shallow utensils some with thick base. The biriyani is also cooked over different fires - wood fire, charcoal, coconut shell embers etc.  Once you chose the right vessel for the biryani, remember to layer the rice with meat and masalas. It starts with a thick layer of rice at the bottom then spread the garnish (fried onions, mint / cilantro leaves, lemon juice) over it. Add a thick layer of meat and again spread the garnish and finally top up with rice. You can then mix saffron milk or rose/kewda water seal the top of the vessel with a tight fitting lid and bake. You can make your temporary seal with kneaded dough.

Then there is famous Dum ki Biriyani, Dum means steam which is actually a process where the vessel is sealed and cooked from above and below with gentle heating. This gentle cooking gives ample time for the flavors of rice and meat to mix and separate. I have seen the heavy base utensils are used for dum or the base covered in mud.

The most famous side dishes which go along Biriyani are Salan and Raita .Biryani is eaten with a wide variety of additives. Indian biriyanis are usually served with Raita. South Indian Biriyanis are served with a sour dish of eggplant (brinjal) or Mirchi ka salan. In Tamilnadu a Muslim Biriyani meal is complete only with the serving of a dessert. You will also find salad served with a dice of lemon is often given to you all over India. The dash of lime juice is loved over Biriyani.

In Sri Lanka you may get a pickle, Mint chutney, or scrambled eggs. Personally I like beaten curd with Onion and Chillis which gives a unique taste to Biryani while you devour on it, along with a Cold Cola.

The most famous of all and the most recent is the Dum-Pukht Biryani either with Hyderabadi or Awadhi influence. Dum pukht literally means to stifle off the steam. The food is placed in a clay pot and dough –ed around as a seal to prevent steam from escaping.

You cannot complete this blog on a special note on Hyderabadi and Lucknawi Biryani.

Hyderabadi biryani is traditionally a Biryani of Katche (Raw) Ghost (mutton) made with uncooked, marinated lamb (kacche gosht). Here uncooked and marinated mutton is cooked along with rice to get a playful of juices smeared from meat and filled with aroma. There is also a commonplace and another version called Pakki Biryani, where the meat is cooked with all the accompanying spices separately and later layered with para-boiled rice with the resultant gravy redolent of mace, ittr and kewra in a sealed handi (Claypot) with saffron and cardamom.

While the Gorgeous Lucknowi biryani’s rice is made from meat stock. And the meat is cooked separately and sautéed. As Vir Sanghvi describes very aptly, “while Hyderabadi biryani has top notes and middle notes, Lucknowi biryani owes its success to a homogenous blend of spices, so that no single one predominates.” It is also called Yakhni Biryani because of use of yakhni (meat stock). A slightly different version of this biryani is also found in Delhi and Western UP (Moradabad).

I am  huge fan of a good made biryani, from all the regions of India and abroad. A delicate mutton is preferred with a boiled egg on Dum with saffron and ittr. For me it's a complete package of food culture.

Biryani places in Bangalore- TOP 4

References:-
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biryani
2. http://www.shantanughosh.com/2007/08/biryani-stories.html
3. http://virsanghvi.com/vir-world-ArticleDetail.aspx?ID=680
4. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Biryani.JPG
5. http://www.squidoo.com/hyderabadi-biryani-recipe
6. http:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6EBn3tGovirw6lcBFyLinVXi7MlqfeKmADhWuSMG3fhWdAwNW291YEEmPn5vLZ0UkOkJ88C_31DhOfINZkJJxOeAagTjFqW9U07hyphenhyphenQU1HN6DWRSD7LxwVfVlgHrMywuI46tLd2CpddSp/s1600/chicken-biryani.jpg
7. http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/files/images/recipes/chickenbriyani/l_chickenbriyani2.jpg

Ande ka Funda

विकट बुद्धि V

एक बार बैठे बैठे विकट बुद्धि ने हम सबों से एक पहेली पुछा -"मुर्गी पहले आई या अंडा ?"

मैंने बोला -"मुर्गा |"

वो हँसते हुए बोला - "तुम बहुत नटखट हो , कैसे यह सब सोच लेते हो "

मैंने उससे पुछा -"मैं भी एक पहेली पूछुंगा , बूझोगे?"

"कौन सी बड़ी बात है - पूछो "

मैंने एक बहुत ही पुराना Classic and Simple सा सवाल पुछा जो बचपन में हम सभी ने जाना था - "एक अंडा पहली मंजिल से गिर गया , मगर वो फूटा ही नहीं | क्यूँ ?"

"यह तो आसान है , पहले बताओ कहीं वो हाथी का अंडा तो नहीं था?"

मेरे दोस्त ने खिंचा -"हाथी का भी कहीं अंडा होता है , तुम बताओ "

"अच्छा तो फिर डायनासोर का होगा , वही नहीं फूट सकता "

दुसरे दोस्त ने कहाँ -"गधे का नहीं?, अंडा किसका देखा है तुने ?"

"मैंने तो सिर्फ मुर्गे का खाया है  "

मैंने कहा -"चल, तेरे लिए मुर्गी का अंडा था , अब बूझो ?"

"ज़रूर नीचे स्विमिंग पूल होगा|"

सभी ने एक साथ कहा -"बहुत ही विकट है तू, अरे यार नीचे फर्श था Tiles वाला  "

बहुत देर तक उसने अपना सर खुजाया , और हमसे रहा नहीं गया तो मैंने उसका उत्तर दे दिया -"जाखो राखे सैयां , मार सके ना कोई (If God wants to save somebody, then nobody can kill him.)"

"यह तो बहुत ही बेकार था "

मैं उसे फांसते हुए कहा -"एक और सवाल है - वही अंडा जब दूसरी मंजिल से गिरा , फिर भी वो नहीं फुटा | क्यूँ?"

"जाखो राखे सैयां , मार सके ना कोई"

मेरे मित्र ने बयां किया -"अरे यह तो पहले वाले सवाल का ज़वाब था ,, कुछ नया सोचो "

"तुम लोग कहाँ से ऐसे सवाल लाते हो , मैं नहीं जानता "

"हिम्मत मत हारो , कुछ तो बोलो " हमने उसे साहस दिया |

इसका भी जब ज़वाब नहीं था उसने हार मान लिया | हमने मज़ाक नहीं उड़ाया पर किसी तरह हँसी रोक ली |

"क्यूंकि उसको Confidence आ गया था , Simple |"

आख़िरकार वो बिदकते हुए बोला - "तुम बहत नटखट हो | अब जो भी पूछोगे तो मैं जवाब दे दूंगा "|

तीसरे दोस्त ने सवाल दागा -"लेकिन जब वो तीसरी मंजिल से गिरा तो फूट गया | क्यूँ?"

"अरे , इस बार फूट गया , यह तो twist हो गया , क्या बात करते हो "

हम सब ने चुटकी लेते हुए कहा -"अब बोलो "

"शायद over -confidence हो गया होगा "

सही ज़वाब था , लेकिन हमें तो मज़ा लेना था आखिर हम थे कमीने |

"गलत ज़वाब, क्या तुम confident हो ?"

वो फिर से अपना सर खुजाते हुए बोला -"मैं हार गया "

दुसरे दोस्त ने कहा -"अबे अंडा है, कहीं से भी गिरेगा तो फूटेगा |"

अब उससे रहा नहीं गया | बकवास बोलते हुए वो जाने लगा | मैंने उसे रोका और बोला -"भाई अभी सवाल बाकी है "

"अच्छा , तो फिर पूछो ? देखे ज़रा "

मैंने पुछा -"जब वो अंडा चौथी मंजिल से गिरेगा तो , वो फूटेगा या नहीं ??"

"हहहहा हाहाह हा हा हा , तुम बड़े बदमाश हो यह भी कोई सवाल है , जाओ मैं ज़वाब नहीं देता "

हमने बोला -"ठीक है , चलो अपना अपना काम करते है " यह बोल कर मैं वापस अपने लैपटॉप पे लौट गया |

वो बेचैन हो कर बोला - "इसका Answer क्या है "

मैंने बोला -"It depends on my mood"

थोड़ी देर बाद मेरे दोस्त ने उससे पुछा - "चाय पीने चलोगे क्या "

और हम सब चाय के टेबल पर बैठ गए , विकट बुद्धि ने कुछ नहीं बोला तो मैंने कहा - "मैं तुम्हे एक मौका और दूंगा, फिर से पहेली पूछता हूँ "

मैंने पुछा -"अगर एक मुर्गी का अंडा पहली मंजिल से गिरेगा और नहीं फूटता है तो ?क्या Answer होगा ?"

उसने बोला - "जाखो राखे सैयां , मार सके ना कोई"

मैंने कहा -"गलत | वो Boiled था |"


-© 2011 सत्य घटना पर आधारित 

Is Tricolor about only 3 colors

Today, on the eve of Republic day, our office had special lunch arranged to celebrate this occasion.
We had some extra food added to the menu along with a tri-color ice cream.
While I was eating my piece of melting Ice-cream, a thought came across. Are we limiting ourselves to celebrate our national days with just mere colors or it is more than that?
When I asked few of our colleagues, why are we getting ice-cream in three colors? They shook their head and told that because it's Republic day Lunch and we have a holiday (No work) tomorrow (26th January).
I was very surprised to accept that simply converting an ice cream into a tri color will never show our patriotism. We should be aware of what color represents and why?

Indian National Congress during the independence movement always wanted a national flag to gain prominence from British dominions. Everyone including Tilak and Bankim Chandra had some or other images for the National Flag. Not a single flag design showed the real India and its diversity. Either they were Hindu -Centric or a copy of Union Jack.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi advocated about the need for an Indian flag, proposing a flag with the charkha or spinning wheel at the center.The idea was to design a flag with the spinning wheel on a red and green color signifying Hindus and the Muslims respectively. Due to the presence of other religions in India, Gandhi was forced to elaborate the White color as the other remaining religions. This also didn't go well with the religious sentiments. This move was criticized heavily as the Sikhs wanted to include the black color. Finally, owing to the religious-political sensibilities, in 1929, Gandhi decided a more secular approach of the use of colors. He interpreted that red will stand for the sacrifices of the people, white for purity, and green for hope.
Later Nehru along with Patel, improvised the Gandhi's Spinning wheel flag into the 'Swaraj' Flag and the Red banner was replaced by Saffron and moved towards the top, while Dark Green banner was below. White was kept between with the spinning wheel.

After India's Independence, the flag committee, replaced the wheel with the chakra. this was done to bring the symmetry to the flag and explained as the representative of dharma and law.

The flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya, an agriculturist from Machilipatnam. While the color scheme, saffron, white and green were chosen for the three bands, representing courage and sacrifice, peace and truth, and faith and chivalry respectively. Later the charkha was replaced by the Ashoka Chakra representing the eternal wheel of law in blue.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who later became India's first Vice President, clarified the adopted flag and described its significance as follows:
“Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation or disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to (the) soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends. The "Ashoka Chakra" in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principle of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change."


I remembered these words and looked at my ice cream plate, smiled and ate the last remaining cold bite.

Happy Republic Day......

Still the Saffron represents Hindu and Green represents Muslim.
While the white one is Vanilla........

  

One weekend at Calcutta

I arrived late, just after the clock changed the date at Netaji Subhas chandra Bose Airport; an old but structured airport. My Friend Sourav was waiting outside it just near the 24hrs coffee shop. The Chaos and Corruption which is very in sight in Bangalore took a back seat here, atleast you get yourself a piece of your own mind. Calcutta Chromosomes are tad slow and goes back in time. We stayed in CCD till the last drop of our coffee, which was regulated twice by an extra dose of coffee each time. Calcutta definitely love their coffee light and sweet.

Soon we were on our way to City (शहर), as per a sign board just outside Airport. The Roads were deserted around 1 AM. I could see sleeping lives and halted taxi all the way to home. There were policemen minding their own business at usual check posts. I was wondering nobody stopped us, Yet!.

Back in Bangalore you will be stopped atleast 3-4 times to check for your breath. Bangalore police keeps their vigil not to save you or some pedestrian but to earn some extra bucks. At least a Common man can identify the differences in the attitude of the Govt officials (I am not saying that West bengal is less or more corrupt, this is with respect to day to day life observation).
The night was made longer with more discussions and a late night Dinner. Needless to say that the spicy egg curry with Plain paratha was awesome. It reminded me of a funny word "DIM", which means egg in Bangla. and its more funny when a true son of the soul says it. The flight was tiring and I retired late.

A call from a Dentist at early hours to treat you from the Stomach upset can really be soothing. My another Dentist friend Goldie, eager to meet me, had cancelled all his sheduled appontments and was really anxious about my whereabouts. Soon after the prescription, I felt better and the system was cleansed. I had Chola-Bhatura in my breakfast and left to Alipur-Behala. The Dental clinic was made into a small eatery with a provision of drinks.

We went downstairs to a grill-locked wine shop and got some beer. I took He-Man 9000 beer and Palone - Carlsberg. Palone is a strong beer from the Carlsberg stable with 7.5% alc v/v. Goldie chose Tuborg beer (Again a brand from Carlsberg stable). Okocim Palone is dark in color with intense taste due to a unique process of malt fire-burning. A process that requires craftsmanship and precision from the brewer. As a result a beer has been created with a slightly sweet taste at first sip and a nice bitter follow through. While He-Man9000 is really a strong beer with taste like that of Iron (blood).It is brewed by Yuksom Breweries with Malt Liquor style in Sikkim, India.This beer is from the same brewery which brew Dansberg Premium Lager Beer, a brand owned by Bollywood lovable villain  Danny Denzongpa.

After the short stint with new beers, we had the awaited Calcutta style Mutton biryani and Rezala Chicken along with Reshmi Kebabs and Chaps. The food was mouth watering and I must confess, after Delhi, Calcutta and Hyderabad are the two Metropolitan cities which can boast a non-vegetarian platter. 

Calcutta or Kolkata biryani evolved from the Lucknow style (Awadh) in 1856. The Meat also include a large peeled Potato as a distinct feature of the Calcutta biryani along with an boiled egg. Also Calcutta biriyani is much lighter on masala and more subtle , unlike it's Hyderabadi counterpart and the rice is boiled with a lot of Saffron and added fragrance. 
Chap (ribs slow cooked on a tawa) and Rezala (meat in a thin yogurt and cardamom gravy) is a perfect combination with Biryani. Rezala has not so thick white gravy with little bengali style sweetness which comes by adding a dash of sugar and a nice blend of poppy seeds(Posto dana) and cashew. 


Soon after the food was licked-finished, we headed out for a strong head massage. Funny it was that we carried Carlsbergs from the shop next door Saloon. we discussed some nonsense stuffs and soon was hungry. The Famous Calcutta chat house was calling us.We had our Kesar-Kulfi.


I reached Sourav's place in the evening and was soon heading towards Underground Disc (HHI). It was already 9PM. so instead, we headed to Sanjha Chulha for the Tandoori Pepper Chicken and a pint of classic Kinglisher. The Chicken was juicy and spicy, licked beyond the bone.

The island bar with a wide bar platform of Underground was dark gloomy and Expensive. The crowd was niche but the DJ was sick. The dance floor was only for couples so Sourav and me took our turn with Bhabhi one by one. Heineken was the cheapest beer at the price tag of Rs470/- pint exclusive of taxes.
I must admit that Kolkatan Girls are far bolder than their counterparts :). The DJ played many songs umpteen times but we were in the groove enjoying our own Dharmendra style dances. 
And the best part:
2AM: we came out of the Disc and headed towards the Azad-Hind Dhaba on Ballygunge Circular Road. South Kolkata’s posh Ballygunge neighbourhood wakes up in the night after the pubs and discs are closed. All the night crowd with their minis and Mazda come here and stand in a very long queue to get their seats. We were lucky enough to get the seat on the upper floor AC-restaurant.

Azad Hind has been one of the hot spots for late-night diners for a while now. It opened in the late 70s and has many well-loved items, including the Crispy baby corn fried. Sanjay Dutt, Hema Malini, etc are regulars here along with famous painter M.F. Husain who would drop by for tea and had even gifted the eatery a small work of his "An Original M.F Hussain Gaj Gamini" painting that the master himself had done on the wall. After the heartily Midnight Meal-The Night was over and a day in Calcutta.


The Date was changed before I could register.

more pics : http://www.flickr.com/photos/saish746/sets/72157625161850177/

Know about Eggs

हम जब इंजीनियरिंग में  पढते थे , तब की ही बात है| चार दोस्त हुआ करते थे; बड़े, छोटे, मीडियम और क्योंच्हन  | हमनें मिल कर उसका नाम भाई ग्रुप रखा था | लम्बाईयों पर हमारा नाम रखा गया था, छाबरा सबसे छोटा था तो वो बन गया छोटे, मैं मीडियम और प्र्तयुष बन गया बड़े | बाद में आया कुक्कड़, चुइंकी वो प्रशं ज्यादा पूछता था , उसे हमने  क्योंच्हन बना दिया|  वैसे उसका असली नाम अंकित है, लेकिन शायद ही उसको कोई इस नाम से बुलाता होगा, नजदीक वालें तो बिलकुल नहीं|

हम साथ कॉलेज तो कभी भी नहीं जाते थे, पर ठीक साढ़े बारह बजे दिन का खाना ज़रूर साथ करते थे | नीरू उस मेस का कर्ताधर्ता था, यूँ तो संध्या मेस नाम था, जहां हम सभी खाना खाते थे पर नीरू से बहुत ही लगाव होने के कारण हम सब उसे "नीरू मेस" बुलाते थे |  मजेदार आदमी था नीरू, हमारा अकाउंट उसके यहाँ चलता था बिना किस्सी तकलीफ़ के | मेस का मासिक खर्च कुल मिलकर कुछ ४०० रुपयें हुआ करते थे | फिर भी हम चारों का बिल हमेशा १२००/- से ज्यादा हुआ करता था | और उसका कारण था "छाबरा" | जी नहीं, हमारा दोस्त छाबरा नहीं, बल्कि its a delicacy |

हुयां यूँ की कमल छाबरा हर रोज़ Egg Fry खाने के साथ आर्डर किया करते थे | हम लोग कहाँ पीछे रहने वाले थे | कुक्कड़ जैन होने के बावजूद मांसाहार का सेवन करता था | शायद संगत का असर होता है | खैर , हम चार लोग तो आर्डर भी चार प्रकार के | किस्सी को Double Egg Fry , तो किसी को Single Egg fry , या दो अंडे का  Double Egg Fry , या एक अंडे का  Double Egg Fry वगैरह वगैरह | पर अंडे सबको खाने थे वरना दक्षिणी भारत का खाना हमें कहाँ रास आता है | अंडे ने हमें हमेशा खाने के लिए प्रेरित किया | 

हम अपना आर्डर हमेशा नीरू को ही देते थे, जल्दी के लिए | छाबरा का एक अंडे का Double  Fry fixed आर्डर हुआ करता था, क्यूंकि वो कुछ और खाता नहीं था | मैं नीरू को हमेशा बोलता था जो छाबरा ने आर्डर किया उसका double या single ले आओ | धीरे धीरे हम सभी DOUBLE CHHABRA या SINGLE CHHABRA बोलने लगे, विथ और विथआउट मसाला | च्यूंकि हमलोग Dude हुआ करते थे, तो देखादेखी हमारे बाकी के दोस्त लोग भी Double Egg Fry को छाबरा कह कर पुकारने लगे | 

आज पुरे पाँच साल बाद भी अगर आप नीरू मेस जायेंगे तो बच्चे लोग आपको छाबरा आर्डर करते नज़र आयेंगे |

हमारा छाबरा दावनगेरे में वर्ल्ड फेमस हो गया, वो भी एक अंडे के डिश के रूप में|

 Single "Double छाबरा"  with masala

Single "Single छाबरा"  without masala

Double "Single छाबरा"  without masala

Double "Single छाबरा"  with masala

Double "Double छाबरा"  without masala

Confused--

Chhabra is simply Fried Eggs, fried on both sides with the yolks broken until set or hard. It can "Over Well" or "Over Hard " where , yolk is cooked from both sides until solid. However It can also be "Over medium" with Yolk cooked from both side but still not so hard.

While Single Chhabra is like Runny Yolk or "Sunny Side Up" or it is also termed as "Poached" or "Bull's Eye".

अरे भाई अब जल्दी से एक Double "Double छाबरा" लेते आओ मेरे लिए, और हाँ कारा ज्यास्थी....