Gujarati food is more than just Dhokla. North Gujarat, Kacch, Kathiyawad and Surti Gujarat are the four major regions of Gujarat and each of these bring their own uniqueness to Gujarati cuisine.
Dabeli, Kutch dabeli or double roti is a popularsnack food originating in the KutchofGujarat. Dabeli literally means “pressed” in Gujarati.It is made with mixing boiled potatoes with a special masala and served with chutney, pomegranate and roasted peanuts.
Fafda is a popularGujarati snack. Fafda is usually yellowish in complexion. It is eaten with a chutney and salty fried-green chilis. Jalebi is sweet and crunchy making this sweet-savoury dish a favourite.
Khaman is a food common in theGujarat , made from soaked and freshly ground chana dal .The final touch to the soft and fluffy khaman is added with a garnishing ofsesame seeds, mustard seeds, coriander leaves. It is a variant of Dhokla and has a lighter colour.
Khichu is a dough for making papad made from rice flour, however, a few other flours are also used. The snack is prepared by cooking flour in water like porridge with cumin seeds and an alkaline salt known as Papad Khar.The name khichu is derived from the ductile nature of the dough.
Khandvi consists of yellowish, tightly rolled bite-sized pieces and is primarily made of gram flour and yogurt. Khandvi is readily available across India and is commonly eaten as an appetizer or snack and is served with garlic chutney.
Muthia is a staple of Gujaratis.The name is derived from the way it is made, from the ‘gripping’ action of the hand. Muthia assembles a shape of sausage. The inclusion of fenugreek makes Muthia good for bowel movement.
Sev Tameta is made using juicy tomatoes served with heaps of besan sev. The gujrati version of the dish is a bit sweeter with the inclusion of jaggery.
Goa is popular not only for its beaches, parties and nightlife, but it also has some superb street foods. Street food in Goa excels in all aspects and there is no denying to the fact that street food both South Goa and North Goa is lip-smacking.
Bebinca is a type of pudding and a traditional Indo-Portuguese dessert. Traditional Bebinca has seven layers. The ingredients include plain flour, sugar, ghee, egg yolk, and coconut milk. It is a traditional sweet of Goa .It is also easily available to carry and preserve for a long time or eaten fresh.
Chorizo Pav is a famous delicacy in Goa. Locals enjoy it as a breakfast item or even as a tea-time snack. Eaten with bread, this spicy pork meat preparation is made using a pre-cooked sausage, onions and potatoes.
Gadbad Ice Cream , Goan’s favourite is served in a tall glass or bowl. It is a combination of different ice creams served in one serving, topped with noodles and jelly. The perfect summer special everyone will enjoy the Gadbad Ice Cream on a hot summer day.
Vindaloo represents the diverse culture of Goa. One of the most popular street foods in the state, it is known for its spicy flavors enriched with vinegar. Made with boneless pork, a variety of Indian spices are added to the dish to make its taste memorable, including cloves, cumin, cinnamon, Kashmiri pepper and many others
Ras Omelette is a regular omelette served with some chicken curry.It is garnished with coriander, onions and a dash of lime juice sprinkled on top of the completed dish and has omelette dipped in it.
Being a state which produces staple food in abundance, a great part of the foods of Chhattisgarh consists of the staple crops such as Rice, Bajra, Jawar. The food of Chattisgarh is mostly inspired from its neighboring states.
Aamat is considered as the Sambhar of Bastar region . This delectable delicacy is prepared with mixed vegetables which is cooked along with the ginger garlic paste and various spices to enhance the flavor of the dish. Traditionally, the dish has been prepared in the bamboo shoots.
Bara is a unique variant of the Vada. Bara is basically a light snack which is made from fermented Urad Dal . Various vegetables and spices are added along with the fermented lentils to add perfection to this famous dish of the state. The minimum oil usage makes Bara super light and super healthy to eat.
Chilla is also known as Chhattisgarhi dosa.It is made up of rice flour and Urad dal. An official dish of morning or evening served with different types of chutney with no filling inside the chilla.
Fara is a dish made up of rice flour, cooked in steam and then shallow fried. This dish has to be served with complimentary green chutney or even sauce can work. Fara are made in the form of dumpling .
Sabudana ki Khichdi is one of the most healthy and delicious dishes of Chhattisgarh. Sabudana Ki Khichdi is prepared with the soaked Sabudana balls. To add the flavor to the dish, vegetables and spices are added that provides a delicious taste to the plate.
The cuisine of Bihar is largely similar to North Indian cuisine but has influences from other East Indian cuisines especially Bengali cuisine. The scrumptious and exotic Bihari dishes are highly capable of tingling the taste buds of every food connoisseur.
Khaja is deep fried in oil and the ingredients use is wheat flour, sugar, mawa. It is very crispy. It tastes amazing when it melts in the mouth and its wafery texture makes it very tempting. It is known for its puffiness.
Laung latika is a traditional dessert of the food of Bihar. At the centre is clove which makes it stand apart from the others. The pungent taste of the clove with the sweet stuffing dipped in sugar-syrup melts in the mouth. The complex amalgam of tastes altogether makes Laung Latika exclusive to Bihar.
Litti Chokha can be considered as the dish of Bihar. It was started as a meal of poor and then was sold on carts on the street Chokha is prepared by mashing boiled vegetables ,adding spices and chopped onion, garlic etc and served with Litti as a complimentary delicacy.
Malpua is a popular dessert sweetmeat that can be found in Bihar.It involves mixing flour, milk, sugar and mashed bananas and deep frying them so that the edges get crispy while the centre is still soft.
Thekua is the most commonly prepared snack of Bihari food. It is a mixture of wheat flour and jaggery .One can also use rice flour instead of wheat flour and sugar instead of jaggery to make different varieties of Thekua.
Tilkut is made from sesame seeds and jaggery makes its taste more flavored. Tilkut is cooked with a sugar base rolled into a ball filled with copious amounts of crushed sesame seeds. The tilkut gets tastier, softer with sesame seeds.
Assam offers just the right kind of flavours to tickle your taste buds. With a wide variety of indigenous food to offer, Assamese food is famous for its distinct flavoring and influences. Delicious pork, chicken and mutton dishes are a must try.
Baanhgaj or Lagot Kukura is essentially chicken cooked with bamboo shoots and lentil.The dish goes well with rice and it can be garnished with chopped green chillies and onions.
Khaar is truly a unique Assamese preparation. Khaar is a heartwarming dish made with vegetables and pulses and the main ingredient being meat, fish or even duck. Even dried banana leaves which imparts burst of unexpected yet refreshing flavors.
Lucchi is prepared by deep frying a roti made up of white flour, without making it crisp. It is served with a delicious potato curry. Lucchi is also known as Poori in other parts of the country.
Masor Tenga is slow cooked fish with a broth made from outenga, tomatoes, and lemon and offers an extremely tangy refreshing flavour once done. Every Assamese definitely loves Masor Tenga.
Payash is made using Joha rice and is loaded with ghee, dry fruits, and milk. Cooked on a low flame, one can also add cardamom and saffron for garnishing the dish. Overall, it is a must try dish for all those with a sweet tooth.
Arunachal Pradesh street food differs from tribe to tribe. As one move toward the eastern side of Arunachal people are dependent on bamboo and other leafy vegetables which are strictly boiled. Fried food is not as popular as people like to eat either boiled or smoked food.
Apong is a type of rice beer, which is traditionally prepared by tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.India. Apong is prepared by fermenting rice. The two types are Nogi Apong and Poro Apong.The two apongs differ in their taste and colour.
Chura Sabji is a kind of curry made of fermented cheese made by either yak milk or cow’s milk and not to forget the most important the flakes and a few pieces of the King chilly which makes it spicy but delicious.
Lukhter is another delicacy of the Arunachal Pradesh.Lukter is a combination of cooked dry meat and chilli flakes from the King chilly or Bhut Jolokia. Like the norm goes with Aunachal, this is a side dish meant to be eaten with rice.
Pehak is made by use of fermented Soybean and King chilly. In this dish, the king chilli is used as the main ingredient. It is also used as a side dish with rice. The pickle is hot and very spicy that gives the rice a very unique hot flavor. Pehak is very popular among Arunachalis.
Pictures sourced from various sources on internet. Please contact for credits.
Traveling makes everybody a better person. We end our adventure happier than we started off. Travel makes one a better individual as well as a more interesting one as well. This makes one type of a person people float towards and want to associate with them. Following are some approaches to become a better person while having enjoyable travel experiences :
1. Happier Travels
Travel tells you the best way to be cheery. You’ll end up being free, progressively sure and believe them to be an increasingly impressive spot. Being neighbourly, entertaining, social, cheery, certain are generally attributes that make people progressively productive in a standard day by day presence. Travel improves people. When you get acquainted with the world , push your cutoff points and try new things become an undeniably open, cheerful, and incredible person.
2. Say no to materialism
All over the place, you adjust precisely how little stuff you truly need. You’ll comprehend that the stuff they sell at the mall is totally useless in life. Returning home, you’ll get yourself a moderate just in light of the fact that you comprehend what you need to live and what you don’t.
3. Easy going attitude
Simply take the path of least resistance. Continuously be loose and accommodating while at the same time voyaging. Travel might most likely show new something new when you are calm and willing to realize what ‘s out there
.4. Become sharp and smarter
While voyaging you’ll get some answers concerning people, history and culture and arcane convictions about spots a couple of individuals could simply dream about. To put it doubtlessly, you’ll have a predominant understanding about how it capacities and how people continue. That is something that can’t be picked up from books; you can simply lift it up without and about experience.
5. Adapt to the Environment
Various places have various foods and encompassing. Regular voyages make you increasingly versatile to new places like attempting fiery nourishment, encountering an entirely different world. Venture out of your customary range of familiarity to encounter.6. Be confident while travelling
In the wake of voyaging so much and achieving so much, you’re going to feel significantly increasingly positive about your capacity to accomplish anything you set your focus on. In this way, as you banter with an ever increasing number of outsiders your confidence normally develops.
7. Be good at ConversationsTravel does not simply fulfill you with chatting with outcasts, it improves you at it also. Unavoidably, you couldn’t think less about where people are from, where they are going, to what degree they’ve been voyaging.
8. Be more social
You ought to be progressively open to individuals. You figure out how to make new companions and get progressively agreeable to outsiders. Make sense of how to make new buddies and get continuously content with bantering with new people.
This photo series highlights best of street food items from different regions in India. First is Jammu.
Kimb a citrus fruit is skinned, juice & seeds squeezed out and then mixed with spices, salt, bit of sugar etc. A sweet, sour and spicy snack commonly prepared in many homes, but rare to find it for sale.
2.
Bhijja Kulcha with Rajma (kidney beans). World’s best Rajma are grown in Jammu and this is evident in the number of Rajma dishes available in region. Another popular dish is Raajma Chawal served with mango pickle, chutney and clarified butter on some food shops on NH1 near Banihal.
3.
Pattode, made with Colocassia Leaves. These are made in many parts of northern India. But each region has it’s own flavours.
4.
Chana Kulcha, a very popular snack food item sold by street food vendors outside schools. Now there are a few other versions of it, like one with soyabean.
5.
Kaladi Kulcha . Kaladi is a dense, salted cheese very popular in most parts of Jammu. It may have a bit of fungus on it which gives it a unique flavour. Eaten by heating on a pan with little oil and addition of salt, sauce or spices. It can be eaten with or without the bun.
6.
Kachalu chaat. Another very popular street food snack for school children. Made of Taro rootstock and mixed with a wide variety of spices like tamarind, chilli, rock salt, pepper and more. Different places have different flavours.
7.
Bhalla. Though this dish is quite common in most of northern India. But residents of Jammu just love these bhallas sold by small vendors in a few bus stands in southern border of Jammu. Served with spicey chutney and radish.
Source: Pictures from various sources on net. Please contact for credits.
Press Release: Thai Food Festival at Mei Kun, Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi
~An Expedition to Thailand with internationally renowned Chef Kwanruean Saegsitong from Siam Kempinski Bangkok~
Visiting Chefs
New Delhi 9th July 2015: Kempinski Ambience Hotel hosts the Thai Food Festival at Mei Kun, the Asian restaurant from 10 July – 19 July, 2015. Chef Kwanruean Saegsitong has travelled all the way from Siam Kempinski Bangkok to give the diners an authentic taste of her homeland, Thailand.With over 19 years of experience in promoting Thai cuisine across the world, Chef Kwanrauean Saegsiting is one of the most sought after Thai Chefs in the world. An expert fruit and vegetable carver Chef Kwan is best known for the successful promotions she conducted in Kempinski Hotel Khan Place, Mongolia and Kempinski Hotel Xiamen, China.
Indulge your senses in a specially crafted range of authentic Thai delicacies at Mei Kun. The 10 day long festival is aimed at transporting food enthusiasts to an expedition to Thailand. Some of the signature dishes include ‘Phad Phak Ruam Mitr’ Mixed vegetables in soya sauce, ‘Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai’ Roasted Duck in Red Curry, ‘Phad Thai Goong’ Fried Thin Rice Noodles, Shrimp with Eggs among others.
The exclusive menu crafted by the visiting Chef Kwan, paired with the serene ambience at Mei Kun promises to make an unforgettable journey for all diners.Puneet Singh, General Manager, Kempinski Ambience Hotel, Delhi said “A harmonious blend of spicy, subtle, sweet and sour, Thai food is an absolute delight for the palate. This festival is our endeavour to introduce the magic of Thai cuisine to our guests. Through our warm hospitality and talent of Executive Chef Rohit Tokhi and Chef Kwan, we promise to make this festival a memorable gourmet dining experience.”
Phak Boong Fai Daeng
Speaking on the occasion Chef Kwan said “Thai food is one the most loved cuisines across the globe and is famous for its chilli-hot and sweet blends. With flavours both savoury and sweet, my special creations are aimed at giving guests a one way ticket to Thailand. It is an absolute delight for me to be a part of the Thai food festival at Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi and bringing best of Thai cuisine to India.”The special menu will be available at Mei Kun at INR 1400 /1600+ taxes for dinner (1900 hrs – 2345 hrs) from 10 – 19 July, 2015. *A la Carte available
About Mei Kun
Embark on an exquisite culinary journey through Asia at MeiKun. Our chefs incorporate authentic spices and ingredients, specially brought in from all over Asia & combine them with the best of locally grown produce. Our guests feel special, when their ideas are incorporated along with our Chef’s technique and flair at our live Asian Grill, along with our heart-warming hospitality and serenity of the Asian culture.About Kempinski Ambience HotelKempinski, Europe’s oldest hotel group ignites the rich traditions of this legacy city with its newest landmark – Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi. Encased within two towers are 480 rooms and suites, two outdoor swimming pools, luxurious recreational facilities and specialty dining options. It boasts of a pillar-less ballroom of 25,000 sq.ft., the largest in a luxury hotel in India with a total meeting space of 70,000 sq.ft. that can comfortably accommodate 6000 guests.
Musamun Gai
About Kempinski:
Created in 1897, Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. Kempinski’srich heritage of impeccable
personal service and superb hospitality is complemented by the exclusivity and individuality of its properties. Kempinski now comprises a portfolio of 75 five-star hotels in 31 countries and continues to add new properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Each one reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand without losing sight of its heritage. The portfolio comprises historic landmark properties, award-winning urban lifestyle hotels, outstanding resorts, and prestigious residences. Each one is imbued with the quality guests have come to expect from Kempinski while embracing the cultural traditions of its location. Kempinski is a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotels, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2014.
Media Contact:
Appetizer Platter
Goodword Media
Love Verma
love@goodwordmedia.in
9540750958
Ambrosia Bliss is situated right in the middle of New Delhi in Connaught Place. This property is barely 4 months old but has become famous for it’s food, interiors and fun filled events in this short period. It’s situated on outer circle of Connaught Place, just above Haldiram. The small entrance and a signboard give no indication about the lavish and huge restaurant inside.
Ambrosia interior
There are three different sections, each one with a different purpose, design and unique charm. First one, Ambrosia is a fine dining place with a good amount of space, great decor, airy with good natural light. Bliss is a relaxing bar and lounge made more interesting with a huge screen, well stocked bar, Sufi rock live performance and other such events. The third one is a “small” private dining area for parties, conferences etc. which can comfortably accommodate 30 guests with space to spare. Each section has an outdoors seating area, it’s own unique design, ambiance and appeal for different audience.
Ambrosia is a great place for relaxed meals with friends and family. Bliss is the place where you can go to have a few drinks, listen to live music, smoke hookah and just chill. Guests in this section can order anything except main-course. The private dining area is for private small to mid-size gatherings or parties. As mentioned earlier, each section is designed to cater to a specific audience which is a fairly nice touch. When you combine all this, whole property is huge and one of the largest in the city. Ambrosia and Bliss sections by themselves are larger than most mid-sized restaurants .
FOOD & DRINKS
Cocktails
The food and drinks menu is just as expansive with huge amount of choices which are enough to leave anyone spoiled for choice. When we reached the place, a weak winter sun was still out and we decided to have a seat in the outdoors section of Ambrosia. As it was our first time in the restaurant, we requested the staff to suggest something. Drinks were first to arrive in form of On Style, a tequila based drink with caramalised orange and a Paan flavoured cocktail. On style had a slightly bitter taste while the other one was sweet but very unique and worth trying. Along came three different platters, Indian non-vegetarian, Indian vegetarian and one and International non-vegetarian.
Indian vegetarian platter had dahi kabas, mushroom galouti, haraa kabab and paneer tikka. Indian non-vegetarian platter had chicken tikka, afghan chicken, mutton seekh kabab and kasundi fish tikka. International one had chicken wings, lamb kabab wrap, garlic bread and fish florets. There were 4 different dips, chilli mayo, mustard, mint and tartar sauce to go with all this. Each platter by itself is enough to fill up 2-3 people quite comfortably, so we requested the staff to serve only the smallest portions possible. Everything in the platters was prepared well exactly like it should be.
It’s impossible to write about each dish in this article without making a book out of it. So this article will cover only the ones we liked the most. Among vegetarian dishes, dahi kabab, mushroom galouti stand out. Dahi kabab were crispy on outside and very tender on inside with different texture and flavours for both layers and it was easily our favourite. Among non-vegetarian, afghan chicken, chicken tikka and kasundi fish were the best. Of these Afghan chicken was the best because of it’s mild yet excellent flavour and nicely cooked tender meat. The sauces provided were excellent and did a perfect job of complimenting the flavours of all the kababs.
Indian Non-vegetarian platter
After finishing with platters, we were feeling slightly full, so we requested the staff to serve the main course after a while. We spent some time enjoying the view and drinks. When we felt that we were ready to eat more, the main course arrived. Vegetarian dishes included Stir Fried Greens, Chilli Garlic Noodle, Daal Makhni and Paneer Lababdaar. Non-vegetarian part included Tawa Chicken, Nalli Mutton and Fish with Lasca Sauce. For breads, we had delicious looking Mirchi Parantha and Butter Naans. We had finished our drinks and got Kiss Me Miss Me, a tangy vodka based drink with apple and fresh mint. We had liked the Paan based cocktail a lot, but this one was just as good.
Among vegetarian dishes, paneer was easily the best with right mix of spiciness and flavours of different ingredients.It tasted best with mildly hot chilly parantha. Chilli garlic noodle was ok with slightly crispy noodles . Daal makhani was good and looked tempting with a generous layer of cream on top. But we felt that it was too mild for Indian palette. Among non-vegetarian dishes, Nalli Mutton with it’s unique flavour, well cooked tender meat and excellent sauce was easily the best. Mostly we prefer to eat curry based non-veg dishes with a bread, but this one was good enough to be eaten just by itself. It was served with a thin silver foil on top, which was a nice touch. Fish was very good with almost no fish smell which a lot of people not used to sea food smell don’t like. Tawa chicken was just about average though. For breads, mirchi parantha with it’s generous use of ghee and chillis was among the best that we have eaten.
Dessert !!
Dessert comprised of Phirni, Carrot & Walnut Cake, Ice cream with Sticky Toffee Pudding served with toffee sauce and vanilla ice-cream. By this time, we were absolutely stuffed and wondered if we had made a good decision. But first bite of the toffee pudding removed all doubts. The cake was excellent with great texture complemented very well by the toffee syrup and ice-cream. Phirni was OK. Carrot and walnut cake was good too, but toffee pudding won hands down.
SUMMARY & COMMENTS:
Ambrosia Bliss is a a great place for a number of things including meals with friends, family and even office colleagues. The three different sections ensure that you don’t run out of options. Bliss section is roomy, has great ambiance and is great for celebrating a night out with friends while enjoying drinks, hookah and music. Ambrosia is just as good for quieter meals inside as well as outside. Drinks are excellent with great variety. As far as food is concerned, the non-vegetarian fare is much better than the vegetarian one. Not that the latter was too bad, it just was not on the same level as former. The prices are slightly on the higher side, but considering the location, quality of service, interior design, huge space, number of servers and the overall experience, it’s well worth it.
