Maha Challenge events in Delhi, Noida, Surat and Mumbai Also Khazana launch in Kuwait

The SK Kitchen shoot is over! Before the roadshows for the FoodFood Maha Challenge begin from May 6, I have one or two things to wind up here: shoot for Sleek Kitchens new campaign as I have recently signed up with them and tomorrow I will be shooting recipes for Gas Oven Tandoor and Diamond Pans of Wonderchef.

Friday onwards back to the Maha Challenge work. Events are happening in four places in the span of 5 days and there is loads of activity in my channel office. So here is the schedule of the FoodFood Maha Challenge:

• May 6 – Delhi, 11.30 am onwards at Pacific Mall, Tagore Garden, Main Najafgarh Road.
• May 6 – Noida, 4.30 onwards at Great India Place, International Recreation Parks Pvt Ltd, Plot No A-2, Sector-38-A.
• May 9 – Surat, 2.30 pm onwards at Iscon Mall Management, Opp.Rajhans Theater, Dumas Road, Piplod.
• May 10- Mumbai, 2.30 pm onwards at Oberoi Garden City, Off Western Express Highway, Dindoshi, Goregaon (E).

In between I will be flying down to Kuwait for one day May 7 to launch the Khazana range in Lulu Hypermarket’s Food Festival in Shuwaikh. I will be demonstrating four-five recipes using the Khazana range – this would be more like a live demo-cum-interactive session with audience and press. The manufacturer of the Khazana range in India, Greenbowl Foods Pvt Ltd is playing the instrumental role in this venture. It will be imported by Alghanim Sons Group and distributed in Kuwait by Union Trading Company WLL.

There is more news. There is excitement about the launch of Khazana Restaurant in a Spanish-owned urban resort in Dubai. And also my visit to US is still being remembered and I have some links for you to read up:

India’s Super ChefSanjeev Kapoor Takes on America

Top 5 most-viewed Washington Post recipes for April

As always I would like to pen off with some recipe suggestions till we connect again.

Mango is here finally- so enjoy!

Mango Margarita

Ripe Mango Kadhi

Barbequed Mango Chicken

Till I write again

Sanjeev Kapoor.

Konkan food – a blend of three cuisines

Konkan cuisine is an interesting amalgamation of all food traditional: be it from Malvan, Goa or Mangalore. In keeping with the distinctive type of cuisine in each of these areas there is a plethora of flavors that can be played around with. Each household has its own variation of the same recipe hence the repertoire increases.

Malvan food is known for its fish preparations. What distinguishes Malvani fish curries is not just the variety of gravies but also the variety of recipes for the same kind of fish made by a dazzling permutation and combination of spices and ingredients and dry-to-wet cooking styles. For a good recipe read Malwani Fish Curry.

Goans traditionally use a lot of vinegar or toddy in their spicy dishes. Toddy is locally brewed palm vinegar. Garlic is another favourite. Goans believe in preparing everything freshly from raw ingredients, they believe it tastes much better that way. While that may be debated in some circles, one cannot dispute the outcome is usually mouth watering! Goans make the best crab preparations. Being a former Portuguese colony, Goan cuisine encompasses Portuguese dishes but is also characterized by strong flavors and tropical notes such as lots of coconut. It also makes exuberant use of many new ingredients such as cashewnuts that first entered India through the port of Goa. The long period of Portuguese rule, besides that of the Muslim and Hindu kingdoms, has left an indelible influence on the original style of Goan cooking and this has led to an exotic mix of truly tasty and spicy cuisine.

Mangalorean cooking is unique in the way the spices are used to enhance the taste and the flavor. When fresh coconut, chillies and various combinations of spices are ground the result can be described with only one word – culinary magic! The people of this region are fond of variety and therefore have perfected the art of improvising and coming out with a veritable repertoire of perfectly cooked food.

Another community that has now adopted Karnataka is the Saraswat Brahmins. Having coursed through various lands the Saraswats have a unique cuisine. They make use of practically every vegetable so much so that even the skins and seeds of many vegetables that most others discard, are used effectively in different chutneys. Even fresh fruits like mangoes and jackfruit are used in a variety of dishes both sweet and savoury. Among their vast repertoire Batata Humman and Mango Sasam have to be mentioned.

Mango is king, tips to remain cool

Spent a good part of the day commuting to and fro Pune. Attended the Mango Fiesta at TYC Pune. The dishes are intriguing and you can have your fill of great new recipes with mangoes there (it is located at Lifestyle, Koregaon Park). I love this juicy king of the fruits and also know that they are enriched with vitamin A that is good for eyesight and also improves formation of healthy epithelium so that you keep away common infections. Enjoy the ripe ones as dessert, pickle the raw ones and better still boil a few raw mangoes, dilute the pulp with aqua, add a pinch or two of roasted cumin powder and black salt and cool down with a glass of chilled panna which will give the colas a run for their money. Our health gurus say with every mango you eat, drink a glassful of milk. Mango has sugars but no protein. Milk has the latter but not the former. So why not combine them, yeah, a mango milkshake is the best, for it will give your body the best nourishment for the summer.

It is also the gourd season. It is the time to bring home the pethas, laukis and tindas. They are fresh produce with high water content and if made the right way, make lunch and dinner substantial with curd and chapatis. Throw in a few cucumbers too as they are refreshing and cooling. Have them in a sandwich for breakfast, have them cut as batons for mid-morning munchies, have them in the raita for lunch…apply some cucumber juice on your face as a natural bleach and toner, place slices of it on your eyes to provide coolness. Wow, that’s a long list.

Recipes for summer could include Manpasand Lauki, Aam ka Panna and Cucumber Koshimbir.

More updates from Singapore later in the week.

Till I write again
Sanjeev Kapoor.