Rendezvous in the City of Mastani

         

                   Rendezvous in the city of Mastani

I still remember my first visit to Pune way back in 2012 and to be very honest I didn’t like the city at all. Horrible traffic, no proper public transportation, over charging auto walas and what not. The weather was decent but not at all close to Bangalore. J

Three years later I got an opportunity to visit the city again. This time an official business trip. I was a bit excited because I had a couple of great friends waiting there. Paresh and Ashutosh Ji. Paresh and I are big foodies, so my target this time was to explore the famous as well as not so famous food joints of Pune in whatever time left after getting grilled from office.

So, here is the list of restaurant, cafes and several other food joints which we explored and I will recommend it to anyone who are having plans for Pune in near future.

Let’s start off!

• Cafe Goodluck

Cafe Goodluck for you!

This Irani café-restaurant is located in the area naming Deccan. Established in 1935, it is one of the oldest Irani places in Pune. The place was crowded like anything. We had to wait around 30-40 minutes for our turn to come. I have never waited this much to get into any restaurant my entire life. Meanwhile, we had Bun Maska and chai, and I was like WOW! A bun cannot be any softer than this and chai was brilliant too. After waiting for a while, our turn came, and we got a table.

Maska Bun and Chai

We ordered Tangdi Kabab for starters and Mutton Liver masala and Tawa chicken for the main course. The food was awesome. The flavor was different and perfect. We ordered some chapattis to go with our gravy item. Perfectly cooked spices and nicely tendered meat, what can you expect more. We ordered Caramel pudding for deserts and, needless to say, that was great too. The total bill was around Rs600 (This is not a typo :P).

Tangdi Kabab.

Mutton Liver Masala

Tawa Chicken.

Finally some desert! Caramel Pudding.

• Marrakesh

Marrakesh is the name of a famous city in Morroco

This is a famous Middle East cuisine chain in Pune. We went to the one located in Aundh. Ordered Lamb Shawarma and Makarana kabab. Finally after 3 long years I had an authentic shawarma, and the taste was amazing. Makarana kabab was also good. We then ordered Dajaj Bhuna for the main course. It looked like tawa chicken, but it has a different taste. Overall a bill of Rs645. Oh Yeah!

For the people of Delhi, This is what authentic Shawarma looks like!

Makarana Kabab

Dajaj Bhuna & Tandoori Roti

• Delhi Kitchen

Living up to its name!

I can explain this restaurant in one line. “One of the best butter chicken I ever had.” Butter chicken was mind blowing. We ordered Chicken Biryrani and Shami kabab too, but the taste was no different than what you get in other restaurants. Lost the bill J but it was quite pocket friendly. A must try specially for butter chicken lovers.

Shami Kabab

Butter Chicken. Yumm!!

This is what you are served with your bill.

• Eatsome

Eatsome!

A small food joint opposite Medi-point Hospital in Aundh. We ordered Chicken masala and basmati rice. Nice hot and spicy taste. Ashutosh ji ordered matar paneer masala and basmati rice. I have no idea how it tastes, but the look was good. Overall a decent food joint.

Chicken Masala and Basmati Rice.

Mutter Paneer Masala with Basmati Rice.

• Kadhai

Kadhai.

Now it’s time for some deserts. A sweet corner located in the basement of Crossword Aundh. We had Rabri Jalebi. Quite good but for me Muthal’s rabri jalebi tastes better. But if you are in Aundh by any chance then it is a must try.

Rabri Jalebi.

• Natural’s Ice Cream

Natural Ice Cream Corner.

Never been to this ice cream chain before, but this has to be the place if you are an ice cream lover. Located in the premise of Crossword Aundh, this joint has unique flavors, and all tastes equally good. Coconut Ice cream and malai ice cream are must try. We went a couple of times there, and our choices go as - Coconut, Malai, Anjeer, roasted Almond, and Choco Almond.

Coconut Ice Cream.

Anjeer!

Malai. Need i say more!!

• Kayani bakery

Kayani Bakery.

Due to my tight schedule and awkward office timings, I was not able to visit this bakery. But, Paresh found some xyz website which home delivers the bakery items. I ordered famous Shrewsbury biscuits, Choco Almond Cake, Chocolate cake and Mawa cake. Biscuits were amazing, you cannot stop yourself once you have one. Mawa cake was good but not that awesome. Choco Almond cake was impressive.

Famous Shrewsbury

In four days, I was able to explore this much flavors of Pune. My impression about city remains same as it was in 2012, but the variety and taste of food won me this time. I hope that someday I will get another chance to visit Pune and explore the remaining food joints which were left unexplored this time.

Special thanks to Paresh and Ashutosh Ji for making this short trip a memorable one. Cheers!!

Ashutosh JI

Paresh

Credits:

Editing: Sujit

Mushroom Masala

                               Mushroom Masala

I always believe that vegetarian dishes are so boring. What all choices do you have apart from Paneer? Vegetarians must thank that “French melon grower” who discovered the first edible kind of Mushroom in the mid-seventeenth century. Mushrooms are delicious and have health benefits too. Be it soups, pizza or any continental dish, you will always find Mushrooms as a popular option. But, we Indians like to do things our way. So, we started making Mushrooms dishes our way. Mushroom curries, Mushroom Masala and so on. Now Mushroom has become a popular special dish in restaurants as well as in the home.

Enough of this trivia, let’s get on to the dish. Let me be honest with you, I am a complete novice when it comes down to cook vegetarian dishes. So, I needed an expert to pull this thing off. All thanks to my Special friend who was generous enough to share this recipe with me.

Ingredients:

• 20 Fresh or Canned Mushrooms.

• 3-4 medium sized onions.

• 3-4 medium sized tomatoes.

• 3-4 Teaspoon Ginger-Garlic paste.

• Refined oil as per requirement.

• 1 small pack of Amul fresh cream.

• Kitchen King Masala.

• Chili Powder.

• Kasoori Methi.

• Salt to taste.

Procedure:

• Take the onions and make a thick paste of it and do the same thing for the tomatoes (The paste will provide the thick gravy).

Onion Paste

Tomato Paste

• Cut the Mushrooms in 4 halves.

• Put the Mushrooms in boiling water with a little bit of salt. (This will help you to wash away the dirt inside the Mushrooms. In case of canned Mushrooms, the boiling of them will help you to get rid of the preservative smell of brine solution). Keep boiling for 10 minutes.

• After Mushrooms are boiled then drain the water.

Mushrooms after boiling in the water!!

• Take a frying pan or wok. Add little bit of oil. When the oil is heated add the Mushrooms in it. Add a bit of a salt to it.

Frying of Mushrooms

• Press the Mushrooms with the ladle to remove the extra moisture from Mushrooms.

• Heat the wok and add oil as per requirement.

Add oil as per your requirement!!

• When the oil is heated add the onion paste in it. Sauté it till the oil gets separated.

Make sure that you don't overcook the onions!!

• Add tomato paste after this. Stir again till oil separates.

• Add ginger garlic paste to the mixture. Sauté till oil separates.

Ginger Garlic Paste.

Note:  The onion, tomato, and ginger garlic paste should not be overcooked. Just cook them until they are golden in color. Don’t let them turn brown.

• Add 2 big Spoon of Kitchen King Masala, chili powder, and salt as per taste in a bowl. Make a paste of it by pouring some water.

Make a paste of the masalas mentioned above.

• Add this paste to the wok. Don’t stir much. Kitchen king Masala doesn’t need to be cooked.

• Add the fried Mushrooms in the mixture.

• Add water to the wok as required. Go easy while adding the water. You don’t want the gravy to be watery. Thick gravy always win J

• Let the mixture boil for a while.

This much of water will do!!

• Take Amul fresh cream in a bowl. Add a pinch of sugar to it. Whip the mixture.

Amul Fresh Cream. Easily available at any grocery store.

• Add the whipped cream to the gravy. Let it boil for once.

• As soon as first boil come, turn the flame off. Don’t over boil it. As it is milk, it might separate being added to the salty dish.

• Add Kasuri Methi for Aroma.

• Put the lid on. This will help the aroma of Kasuri Methi to be absorbed into the gravy.

Voila!!! You are done. It tastes equally good as it looks.

                                 

                                   Enjoy this with Hot Tawa Roti. Thank me laterJ