Habanero - A Mexican delight!!!

I picked this venue for the team outing. The ratings and reviews of zomato had played a major role in keeping my expectations high :) . This is a small place in hi-tech city but they have sufficient seating arrangements. Lighting and Decor is simple yet vibrant. Staff is good and is usually ears to the customers’ demands. They had really quick service and almost all our orders were served in really fast.

We started with tortilla soup. It was decent. We ordered the Spicy Potato Burrito and Skewed Vegetable Fajita in Veg. The Burrito was simple yet delicious. The Fajita vegetables were served separately on a hot plate and we had to build our own fajitas. I loved them.  We also ordered the veg Mexican Taco Salad. The salad was pretty. It was served in a taco shell that we could eat. 

My die hard non vegetarian friends and colleagues ordered Chicken Wings, Grilled Seabass 'en Pibil', Chicken Enchiladas, Grilled Chicken breast. They seemed to love the food. According to them The food as lip smacking delicious and tasty

The star or rather stars of the day were the desserts. We ordered Tres Leches Cake, Molten Mexican Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Crumble Cake with IceCream. 

Let’s start with my favorite. It was a delicious butter cake served with three kinds of milk and fruit. It was light and moist. I just wanted more.  

The Molten Mexican Chocolate Cake had a hint of chili which was a pleasant surprise as it was recommended by the staff and we did not read the details.

 The other amazing dessert was The chocolate crumble. It was rich, dense, and amazingly good. dense, and amazingly good. 

All in All a great experience and value for money. Definitely worth a visit especially if you are a tex-mex fan!!!

Sweet Corn Soup

This is my mum's recipe. Its simple, quick and i just love it.

Preparation Time: 20 mins   Cooking Time: 20 mins  Serves : 2

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

·        Sweet Corn Kernels - 1 cup or 2 Medium sized Corns

·        2 tbsp Butter 

·        3-4 cloves Garlic

·        1 Green Chili 

·        1.5 Cup Water 

·        Salt - To taste

·        Black Pepper - To taste.

·        Coriander for garnish

Instructions

·        If using a whole corn extract the kernels. Grind the kernels so that they are still coarse. Do not grind into a paste. 

·        In a deep pan add the butter and sauté the garlic and green chili till the garlic turns golden. 

·        Then add the corn and cook it for 3-4 mins. 

·        Once the corn is cooked add water and stir. 

·        Add salt and pepper.

·        Garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve hot. 

Homemade Paneer Tikka

A flavorful marinade of assorted spice powders makes the succulent cubes of paneer(cottage cheese) quite exciting to bite into

Preparation Time: 20 mins   Cooking Time: 20 mins  Serves : 2

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• Paneer (cottage cheese)  cut into 1 inch cubes – 12 pieces
• Medium Red and Green capsicums cut 1 inch pieces 
• 1 medium Onion 1 inch pieces
• Chaat masala 1 teaspoon

For marinade:

• 1/2 cup Hung yogurt 
• 2 teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste 
• 1 teaspoon Green chilli paste
• Turmeric powder a pinch
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder 
• 1 teaspoon  Lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp roasted and ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds(saunf) powder
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and add the paneer cubes. Set aside for 20 mins
• On a satay stick arrange the paneer, capsicum an onion pieces alternately
• Grill at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 mins or till the paneer turn golden.
• Sprinkle Chaat masala and Serve hot with green mint chutney
• Alternatively:
• Heat 2 tbsp oil on a tawa, place the paneer cubes and shallow fry till golden and crisp on the surface. Drain on absorbent paper.
• Toss the capsicums and onion pieces in the remaining marinade and sauté them in the 1tbsp oil on the tawa for two to three minutes.
• Place a capsicum piece  and onion on each paneer cube and pierce with a toothpick. Sprinkle chaat masala and serve hot with green mint chutney

Rich Tomato Bell Pepper Soup

This is one soup that needs simple ingredients and is super tasty and healthy. The tomatoes and bell peppers are great sources of folic acid and vitamin A. Beside the soup has a high fiber content which helps to remove the excess fat from the body while the garlic helps to keep a check on your blood cholesterol levels.

Preparation Time: 10 mins   Cooking Time: 20 mins     Serves: 2

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 1 whole red capsicum
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 bay leaves or tejpatta
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 pinches sugar
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste 

Instructions

·       Roast the capsicum on a medium flame till it turns black from all the sides. Wash and remove the skin, stem and seeds. Roughly chop and keep aside.

·       Combine the corn flour and milk in a bowl, mix well and keep aside.

·       Combine the tomatoes, garlic, bayleaves and 2 cups of water in a deep pan and boil on a medium flame till the tomatoes are soft.

·       Cool the tomatoes completely.

·       Remove and discard the bay leaves.

·       Combine the capsicum and tomatoes and blend in a mixer to a smooth mixture.

·       Sieve the mixture.

·       Transfer the sieved mixture into the pan, add the cornflour-milk mixture and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring continuously.

·       Add pepper and sugar and mix well.

·       Serve hot.

Coconut Truffles

As I have already mentioned in the previous posts, I am a dark chocolate fan and the combination of coconut with nuts and dark chocolate...... yum!!!!

    This is a simple recipe for rich coconut truffles you can make at home. The ingredients are easily available 

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

·       1/4 cup red and yellow tutti fruity

·       1/4 cup almonds cut into small pieces 

·       1/4 cup walnuts broken into small pieces

·       1/4 cup dark chocolate chips      

·       1/2 cup desiccated coconut 

·       2 table spoons orange peel - optional 

·       150 gms condensed milk - (Milk maid)

·       200 gms dark chocolate compound

Instructions:

·       In a bowl, mix the tutti fruity, almonds, walnuts, chocolate chips, coconut and orange peel.

·       Then add the milk maid to the mixture so that everything binds.

·       Next make small balls of the mixture. Its enough to make 13-15 balls

·       Refrigerate in the deep freezer for 15 mins

·       Take the balls out and melt the dark chocolate compound in a double boiler.

·       Dip the balls in dark chocolate and refrigerate for another 15 mins.

Deli 9 Bistro

Deli 9, Gachibowli brings in something new and different in the locality. This is the only cafe, bistro in the locality. I have been here too many times and the food is just amazing!!! 

Well the ambiance is different. It is cozy and pretty cafe. You get to see many colors but they have a soothing appeal. The place is quirky and formal at the same time. 

 

 As mentioned I have been here multiple times with different people but the food is top notch.  I have tried almost every vegetarian item on the menu. They do have a great variety. I can share some feedback for the non veg food as given by my peers and friends. 

The tropical fruit creamy cooler and the strawberry blast are my personal favorites.  The Belgium Chocolate Creamy cooler and the fruit frioska are great too. 

The firangi samosa - with a mushroom and spinach stuffing is very popular among my peers and friends. They are crisp and tasty served with a chili mayo dip. The fries with cheese and nachos are also good. My Non vegetarian friends loved the keema pav and the chicken bao.

The mushroom chili cheese bao is my favorite.  The pav bajhi is decent. My friend liked the hot  dog
  They do have great burgers. The Veggie 9 Burger was flavorful. It had a crisp patty of mixed vegetables and was served in a multi grain bread with creamy cheese and tartar sauce. My colleagues seemed to love the Deli 9 Tower Burger (chicken). According to them they have the best burgers :). Another fab item on the menu is the crusty garlic focaccia with melted cheese. They serve very fresh breads. 

From the pizza section do try the classic Margarita. They serve it on a fresh crisp thin crust with tomatoes, olives and cheese... yummy!!!! 

Coming to the mains... the cottage cheese steak is a must try. Its served with rice and vegetables and is one of their best dishes. The paneer sole kebab is another favorite.  this is usually served with a portion of dal, salad and Roti.

The dessert section has a huge variety again. Do try the blueberry cheese cake. They have a great variety in chocolate cakes, muffins and cookies. My recommendation is the chocolate truffle. 

All in all, the place is a value for money, classic European style bistro with food you would love to indulge in :) 

I would rate it 4.5/5

Olive Bistro - A Classic Rustic Bistro

Well I was wondering i should start posting restaurant reviews on the blog as well and Olive Bistro seems the perfect choice to start with. I have been reviewing on Zomato for a long time now but this is my first review on the blog... so what more special than a Birthday dinner with friends :)

Olive Bistro is set in the hills overseeing the Durgamcheru lake and has a rustic setup. The restaurant has a beautiful view and is perfect for a special occasion. As you enter the restaurant the walkway will make you feel you are entering into a different world. One with a vintage touch to it. I have been here twice now and i must say the food is amazingly good. They have a great variety on the menu which includes some of my personal favorites like the falafel platter, the thin crust pizza, Greek salad and the list can go on. They have a varied drinks menu too with some great smoothies. 

We were a little late so decided to skip the soup. We started off with my favorite OB falafel and mezze and the complimentary bread platter they served.   The falafels were crisp and delicious, the pita was fresh and soft. What i loved were the hummus and the tzatziki. The hummus was flavorful and the tzatziki was refreshing.

Next we ordered the all veg on a thin crust pizza. It was a wood fired pizza with roast sweet pepper, button mushrooms, red onions, artichokes, jalapenos, olives, spinach and mozzarella. It was huge and mouthwatering. 

 

We had heard a lot about the ravioli so decided to give it a try. It was a spinach dill and feta ravioli served in a creamy white sauce with a hint of lime, olives and zucchini. I must say it was the best ravioli I have ever had.  The lemon touch was subtle yet it made it refreshing and tastier.

 We were full but did not want to miss the OB insanity. Well the pic says it all doesn't it? 

To elaborate it is multi layered desert with layers of dark chocolate mousse, orange flavored white chocolate mousse and red current mousse layered between two varieties of moist Genovese and coco sponged cake. It is topped with vanilla and caramelized apricots. Aptly named and brilliant looking and tasting desert. 

The servers are polite and friendly. They help you place the order as per your taste. All in all, a must try place in Hyderabad. I would rate it 4.5/5

Really Dark Chocolate Cake

I am a dark chocolate fan. I was craving for a good dark chocolate cake for too long. I finally thought what the heck I am gonna make one. I was browsing for recipes when I came across one at Hershey's site. You can refer the original recipe here. I replaced the eggs with curdled milk and made it. Well let me tell you it was rich, dark and amazing. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients (the standard measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For the cake:

·         2 cups sugar

·         1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

·         3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa

·         1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·         1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         2 eggs – for eggless replace with 1 cup milk with a few drops of vinegar

·         1 cup milk

·         1/2 cup vegetable oil

·         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·         1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 175°C or 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.  Note:  the temperature and the heat varies with the type of oven. You should know your oven. If using a regular oven, preheat both top and bottom elements. For a microwave convection oven, just preheat the oven.
• Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans or fill cups about 2/3 full with batter.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes 12 servings
• For the frosting: melt butter, Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. This makes about 2 cups frosting which is enough for the cake.
• Spread the frosting evenly on one cake.
• Carefully place the second cake on top and then spread the frosting again. 

NOTE:  The baking time varies depending on the temperature in your oven and the size of your pan. Also note that the temperature varies from oven to oven. So you should know your oven properly and the cake is cooked when the tooth pick comes out clean. You should not open the oven repeatedly to check the cake as that may not result in a good cake. 

PS: the pics turned out to be hazy so could uplaod only one.