Weekend Herb Blogging : Instant Oats & Spinach idli

I might not be really South Indian in my dinner preferences (if you ignore the constant craving for coconut oil), but when it comes to breakfast, idli is an ever-favourite.

I remember how I craved and dreamt about idlis during my stay in Hong Kong and heaved a sigh of relief once I spotted a Udupi hotel (and chitchatted with a waiter in Tulu and beamed with happiness talking about it with Dad, but that’s another long story) , which then became our weekend breakfast spot for as long as we were there! And only after spotting Idlis and Sonamasuri rice did I extend my trip to a month … such is the love for idlis!

Huliogare, Mangalore style

Or Pulihora/Chitrannam, as Telugus like to call it. No, there is no equivalent for this in Hindi, because this is a South Indian main course dish, served as one of the items in a large meal at weddings or at festivals. However, this recipe is for the Mangalorean version of Pulihora/Huliogare.

Restaurant Review : Syn Asian Grill & Bar, Taj Deccan, Hyderabad

Before I even go into the details, let me just say one word about my entire Syn experience. It was sinfully awesome! I loved the food, the experience and our entire time there. It was an afternoon spent having pleasant conversation with my partners in crime – Arundati and Siri.

And now to the details…

Syn Asian Grill & Bar, Taj Deccan, Hyderabad
Cusine: Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese – Asian
Location: Taj Deccan, Road 1, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.
Phone: 040 66663939 / 092 95 006969
Hours of Operation: Mon - Sun: 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm - 1:00 am
Website: Syn Asian Grill & Bar, Taj Hotels
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/synicious
Twitter: https://twitter.com/synicious
Recommendations: Veg Sushi Rolls, Amuse Bouche, Kake age maki, Yasai Salad, Vietnamese Vegetable Red Curry, Wasabi Chilli cocktail, Thai Fried Rice

Yes, that’s almost all the dishes we tried out there, going out to say that I loved everything that has been served.

 

[Pictures : Watermelon Mintini & Wasabi Chilli]

We started our meal with a pleasant cocktail made of Wasabi which not only pierced through our throats but also took us to a high land, literally. We were then served Amuse Bouche in a happy spoon. Amuse Bouche is a bed of fried noodles topped with a mixture of waterchestnut, raw mango in chilly plum and soya dressing. It was a perfect mix of all the flavours and worked well in waking up our taste buds.

Carrot Methi Chutney

Or Carrot-Menthiaaku pachadi, as we Telugus would call it. This gem of a recipe is sent to me by a friend – Sukanth, a very good cook himself… he has shared some more of his awesome recipes which I am planning to try very soon, once I have all the required ingredients at hand.

One of the simplest and easiest ways to incorporate vegetable and greens in your diet, this is also something that can be prepared in a jiffy. I loved the flavour of the methi leaves blended with the sweetish carrots…

Am a photographer, yay! :)

Couple of weeks ago, I shot some pics of a beautiful cake my friend baked. She is a master baker – The Dream Cakes, and is a professional and her cake was selected to be featured in Cake central Magazine. I shot these pics a little too late, and so we missed the deadline… it sure did feel bad, but her cake still got featured in the magazine, and the pics were shot by her friend. Here is another link from the magazine’s site.

For this shot, I planned , conceptualized and shot every pic, and the pics came out pretty good. Am super proud of these pics and have waited all this while to share them. [I couldn’t share the pics earlier because of some condition laid by the magazine guys]. And here are the pics… every part of this cake is edible, and I tried to highlight all the different aspects of this cake.

And there is more…