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Alu Paratha
2007-08-25 06:15:00
It was the early nineties and the ladies had just started noticing the dating potential of yours truly. It was also a time when 'pubs' had just started turning up in the 411001 pin code. Black Cadillac (which is now closed) and Ten Downing Street with their 200 Rupee cover charge were the first to arrive. I have always been a non-drinker, but for some reason ladies would always insist on visiting the pubs. Even the ones that couldn't hold down their gimlets to save their lives. For a reasonably broke person such as myself, the 200 Rupee cover charge was a bit steep and left little to spend in the way of dinner. Thankfully, there was one great option, just down the street. Hip enough and cheap, too. Steaming hot, authentic Punjabi parathas at Nandu's. Crisp, flaky, cheap and downright delicious. Seating was optional and the waiter would bring your order right up to you. Whether you were parked in a car or just standing by on the footpath. One of the 15 varieties of parathas, a l...
More About: Paratha

Egg Bhurji
2007-08-23 05:00:00
Before I left Pune, one of my favourite spots to hang out on a lazy evening was the Pune University fountain. This spot was especially fun during the brief Pune winters as it served great, hot food. What started as three small carts when I was in Std X had become a mini Chowpatty in just a couple of years. (Not to be confused with the mini Chowpatty near Farazkhana). You could find all kinds of food here to match your mood and budget. Chinese, Vada Pav, Pav Bhaji, Dosas and last but not least, awesome Egg Bhurji. The fact that there was a steady traffic of pretty, young girls coming to enjoy the lively atmosphere didn't hurt business either. I loved hot bhurji at Univ. fountain on a crisp winter evening. One egg, onions, tomatoes, questionable oil, spiced to perfection and served with 'pavs'. Heaven for 3.00 Rupees (approximately 7 cents). I remember spending many an evening with my friends at the University Fountain watching the St Joseph's girls returning from Hockey practice...

Veg Hakka Noodles
2007-08-18 18:11:00
Some of the best restaurants in Pune are successful because they satisfy the three following conditions—great food, low prices and proximity to a ladies hostel or college. As someone most of whose friends included hostelites, eating out was huge. And Fergusson College road with it's many cheap eats was a hot destination. In the early 90s a Chinese restaurant, China Garden, popped up on F.C. road that satisfied all of the above conditions and then some. Situated on the corner of that nameless street between Roopali and Vaishali that meets F.C. road at an angle it was a heaven sent for gourmands. The greatest part of this restaurant was that it's front part was a restaurant and the back half, a car garage. So you could feast on some spicy chicken lollipops as you waited for your car tune up. This tiny restaurant had a seating capacity of 8 tables, provided it wasn't raining. Then it was down to only 5. If you came in a car, the food would come to your car. My favourite dish at th...
More About: Noodles

Kashmiri Roti
2007-08-11 05:22:00
My girlfriend and I visited the Sapphire Indian restaurant on Broadway at Lincoln Center in New York. After the meal, as the waiter asked us for our dessert selections, my girlfriend ordered a Kashmiri Naan with Masala Chai. The waiter turned to me to convey a "What the fuck?" look. And I proceeded to give him the "Dude, don't even get me started" look. Anyway, my girlfriend really, really likes the Kashmiri naan which is traditionally made from enriched white flour. I thought I'd try making a healthier version for her using whole wheat chapatti flour. Turns out, it tastes even better. Especially, it you slather it with ghee. IngredientsFor Atta (dough)
2 cups Chappati atta (finely ground wheat flour)
1/2 tsp Salt, 
1 tsp oil 
1/2 cup Milk 
Warm WaterFor Filling1/2 cup Raisins1/4 cup Pistachio1/4 cup Almond1/2 cup Coconut Flakes1 tsp SugarMethodUsing all the ingredients for dough, knead the doughBlend all the ingredients for the filling in a blenderTake a golf ball size...
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Chutney Sandwich
2007-08-07 23:53:00
After securing a less than adequate percentage in my foundation examination during my first year of art school, I was faced with a dilemma. Bribe someone with a lot of money at the school or bribe someone with a little money at the state level and have them direct the school to accept me in the program of my choice for very little money. The second option although the natural choice was easier said than done. It involved traveling to Bombay and dealing with the red tape at the Directorate of Art in the J.J School of Art compound. Of course, after a little research, I did find someone who was willing to push some paper for a little grease on the palms. And since said transaction couldn't be done in broad day light, he suggested I meet him in front of V.T. station at lunch time. There are a number of small food stalls that sell delicious food on the footpath opposite V.T. station, so that was a good option. We met at a man selling vegetable sandwiches out of a cart. 'Indian Club San...
More About: Chutney , Sandwich

Sada Dosa
2007-08-07 05:29:00
For an eatery to be successful in Pune, it must satisfy three basic properties— good food, cheap and proximity to colleges as well as girl's hostels so that the young maidens trot in and out of the restaurant all day. That would explain the success of Hotel Vaishali, the crowning jewel of Fergusson College Rd. Sure there are many important landmarks on that road, like Fergie itself, or maybe the Ranade institute, but nothing says FC Road like Vaishali. The restaurant where our fathers, and grandfathers grew old, no doubt leering at young unsuspecting girls just as their sons and grandsons would. I have spent a better part of my youth at Vaishali and my last meal in a restaurant before I left the motherland was at Vaishali. Vaishali is not just a restaurant, it's a way of life. It's a place where lasting friendships are formed, romances are started, and million rupee business deals are signed. And then there are the permanent fixtures. Some people who are always there no matter...
More About: Dosa , Sada

Sugarcane Juice (Ganne ka Ras)
2007-07-29 01:50:00
In my unequal struggle with Hindi during Std X I had an earth shattering 15 1/2 marks combined in my first unit test, terminals and prelimins. My father concerned at my progress or lack thereof did the only responsible thing a responsible Indian parent can do. —looked for Hindi coaching classes. After much begging Hindi teacher at St. Loyola's agreed to let me and tow of my friens join his class of Hindi challenged pupils. We were thrown out of class on the very first day on account of laughing at a logo on the teacher's polo shirt. It was laughing buddha styled monkey so it was a no brainer. Getting thrown out of class was a very common for vagabond students such as myself and one desperately needed a place to park in such an event. In Model Colony at the edge of Shirke's Sugarcane Farm, they had cleared 10000 sq. ft. of land and put some tables and bamboo chairs. And at one end, built a shed with a sugarcane juice machine. One Rupee for a tall, cold one. In this case a tall g...
More About: Juice , Cane , Gann , Arca

Tawa Prawns
2007-07-27 18:36:00
Most of my friends through my twenties were big rum & coke drinkers. And great thing about having a solid 'pettad' as a friend is that whenever you go out, there are always great appetizers on the table. One of the more popular watering holes in Pune back in the early 90's was Pinnacle in Chandani Chowk. If one can remember that far back, Chandani Chowk was a place people went to get out of the city, stand at the pinnacle, enjoy some fresh air and a great view of the city from the top of the hill. At that point, Pinnacle was still trying to attract customers with low prices and a sit-as-long-as-you-want policy for drinkers. As a result, the average young drinker on a shoestring budget could manage to go beyond the masala peanuts for drinking snacks. Some drinking snacks like Chicken Manchurian Dry, Fish Koliwada and Masala Papad continue to be the favourites. My favourite was the Tawa Prawns . Fresh jumbo prawns spiced and stir-fried to perfection. Today, the city of Pune has grow...

Chicken Finger Sandwiches
2007-07-26 04:23:00
No trip to Pune is complete without a visit to Marzorin. It is situated on Main Street in Camp in a tiny little shop three steps above everyone else. Back in the 80s when I used to frequent Marzorin, they had a very short menu. 4 types of sandwiches. 5 types of drinks and a few pastries here and there. Today, Marzorin is a huge 2 story restaurant with a fairly complex menu. My favourite food at Marzorin is still by far the little triangular chicken sandwich. I have tried every possible combination of chicken, spreads and bread to make it taste like the Marzorin. I have come up with many recipes in the process, but the Marzorin combination still eludes me. Here's one of my favourites.Ingredients1 cup Grilled Chicken , very finely chopped8 slices Whole Wheat Bread1/2 cup Butter1/4 cup Cream Cheese1/4 tsp Black PepperSalt to tasteMethodSaute grilled chicken with pepper and salt with little oilWhisk cream cheese and butter till they are completely mixedApply mixture generously to two s...
More About: Sandwiches , Finger , Sandwich

Masala Chips (Masala French Fries)
2007-07-24 18:10:00
By the time I was in the 7th standard, I along with a few neighbourhood kids had perfected the art of making a good potato chip. Known in this country as the French Fry or in the fly over states as Freedom Fries (sad, isn't it?). In India young boys are always discouraged from carrying experiments in the kitchen. As a children of parents who were busy and away from home most of the day, my friends and I found the kitchens at our disposal during the afternoons. We would have potato chip parties between games of 'galli' cricket. It involved everyone stealing 2 potatoes from home and maybe some oil. Stealing oil from the oil dispenser on the kitchen counter was a rookie mistake that would get caught. Only the seasoned potato chipper knew to steal directly from the 15 litre Postman dabba as a few missing cups wouldn't be detected. The loot would then be gathered at one of the kitchens where peeling and cutting began. As a measure to increase the number of chips per potato, we would ...
More About: Chips , French Fries , Chip

Varan Bhat (Dal and Rice)
2007-07-22 23:16:00
Varan Bhat is to a Maharashtrian what rice and beans are to our Mexican friends. This is the one dish that for some reason never tastes as good in a restaurant as it does at home. More so for lunch than diner. And if you nail the combination of the dal, salt, lemon and ghee at the first helping, just stop. The second helping will never taste as good. A good batch of dal is probably the second yardstick for judgement that the mother-in-law uses against the new bride after the roundness of a chapati. Here's to a start to a good finger licking lunch.Ingredients1 cup Toor Dal (pigeon peas)2 tsp Oil1 tsp Turmeric1/2 tsp Cumin Powder1/2 tsp Asafoetida2 cups waterSalt to tasteLemon, sliced1 tsp GheeMethodIn a pressure cooker cook the pigeon peas till they are completely soft and almost dissolved. (If you don't have a pressure cooker, boil in a pot till cooked.)Set aside.In a pot, heat the oil.Add cumin and asafoetida and allow to cook in the oil.Add turmeric and then the dal.Whisk the da...
More About: Rice

Spicy Stir-fried Corn
2007-07-17 17:48:00
For some reason, I have always associated corn with the monsoon season. Before the weather patterns on the Deccan plateau shifted the first showers would show up by mid-May. It was just around the time when we would be busy putting brown paper covers on new text books for school and enjoying that new book smell. It also meant that summer vacation was in it's last three weeks. As the rains started drenching the parched earth, children in my neighbourhood would run out to collect mangoes that would've fallen as a result of the rains. As the victorious returned with shirts full of muddy bounty, aayi would have hot cups of tea waiting for us. Along with Glucose biscuits and roasted corn or stir-fried corn. The 4'o clock chai on a rainy afternoon is something I miss dearly. Ingredients2 cups of Corn kernels1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds1/2 tsp Sugar1/2 tsp Turmeric1/2 tsp Chili powder1 tbsp ButterSalt to tasteMethodHeat butter in a pot and add mustard seedsAdd corn and sauteAdd sugar, turmeric...
More About: Spicy , Fried

Mutton Roast
2007-07-01 18:06:00
Back in the early 90's, when my friends were at the peak of their drinking form, Green Park on Baner Road was a popular watering hole. Although it was designed and advertised as a family restaurant, most of it's patrons were young and middle-aged men who were used to drinking Old Monk by the quarter. Even though the food at Green Park was extremely delicious, it was always secondary as most of their customers weren't sober enough to appreciate the food or for that matter remember it the next day. Having been a non-drinker all my life, I had the pleasure of sampling almost everything on the Green Park menu and remembering it long enough to write about it. One of their lesser known dishes (and one of my favourites) was mutton roast. A succulent piece of lamb shank breaded and grilled to perfection in a tandoor oven and served with 3 wedges of roasted potatoes and a mint dipping sauce. From what I hear, Green Park has been completely renovated with a swimming pool, a kids playing ar...
More About: Mutton , Roast

Mutter Kheema
2007-06-30 02:08:00
Our convent school was never really equipped for taking large number or students on trips and whenever an attempt was made it was an utter disaster that made for some really great memories. One of the great features of these overnight trips was that the food would be prepared by the students themselves. A great idea in theory. But not when the cooks in question have barely mastered long division. Never a great selling point, but looking back the trips were fun. The destination was always a small sea side village or one of Shivaji's many forts. Or in some cases both. When I was in high school, we went on one such trip to Sindhudurg. Sindhudurg was Shivaji's invincible fort in the Arabian Sea a couple of miles from land. We set camp on the beach right opposite the fort. We attempted to cook on kerosene stoves, but it was a disaster. The chapatis were rock hard, the fish was burnt and everything has a strong aroma of kerosene. Eating this food was mandatory or you'd face the wrath ...
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Vanga Batata Bhaji
2007-06-22 21:50:00
There's no story to this dish. This is just a delicious dish my mom used to make. I just happened to make it the other day and thought I'd share.Ingredients2 medium Potatoes cubed2 large Brinjals (Eggplants) cubed1 large Onion finely chopped1 large Tomato finely chopped1/2 cup Peanuts crushed1 tsp Chili Powder1 tsp Garam Masala1 tsp Turmeric1 tsp crushed Garlic1/2 tsp Ginger paste1/4 cup Olive OilSalt to tasteMethodHeat oil in a pot and add garlic, ginger and onion.Sauté till onions are translucent and brown on the edgesAdd tomato and stir till it becomes a homogenous pasteAdd garam masala, turmeric, chili and stirAdd potatoes and 1cup waterAllow to boil till potatoes are cookedAdd eggplant and boil till most of the water evapourates leaving a pasty sauceAdd ground peanuts and keep stirring for 5 minGarnish with chopped cilantroServe with Rice Bhakari or NaanThis recipe is for Nupur's RCI June: Maharashtrian Cuisine!
More About: Bhaji , Tata , Haji , Batata

Tawa Pizza
2007-06-21 20:52:00
Before pizza became a mainstream food in Pune, there were only a handful of places that made pizza. The place that was most famous for it's pizza in the pre-chain restaurant era was Supreme Pizza opposite Sambhaji Park on J.M. Road. Supreme's pizza was pretty much a slightly thicker version of Masala Papad that could scrape the roof of your mouth raw. The sauce was slightly modified Kissan ketchup and the cheese was Amul. For those of you who might not know, Amul is to cheese what Tofurkey is to Thanksgiving. The pizza was baked by arranging it in a small tawa like utensil and then shoved into this contraption that was pretty much like a Weber Grill, but not quite. But for whatever reason the Supreme pizza was delicious and one couldn't find parking for blocks around the small shack. I think Supreme is still around, but since the arrival of Pizza Hut, Domino's and some other Indian Pizza chains, the small family owned Supreme has lost the 'Supremacy'. Now, they just cater to t...

The Good Night
2007-06-17 17:54:00
If there's any milkshake that's capable of bringing all your boys to the yard, it's probably the Good Night . Unfortunately, it will also put them to sleep as soon as they arrive at said yard. One of my favourite restaurants in Pune that I must've mentioned a million times here is Darshan. The juice and milkshake menu at Darshan went filled an entire section of the menu. The king of the shakes however was the Good Night . A dieters nightmare, this milkshake was so heavy that it would put you in a food coma within the hour. Hence the name. It was a mixture of whole milk, cream, chickoo, figs, dried fruit and nuts. Served in a tall beer mug and topped with homemade ice-cream and some shopped nuts for good measure. My other favourite part about the Darshan menu was a disclaimer on the first page which I am sure annoyed the waiters a lot. It simple stated "The person serving you is a needy student. Do not lower his morale by offering him a tip. Calling him brother or 'bandhu' is the...
More About: The Good , The Go

Goan Vegetable Curry
2007-06-14 04:55:00
In the last 20 years, my family has had more weddings at Hotel Shreeyas than I care to remember. Coz' when one thinks of a nice romantic wedding, clearly the first thing that comes to mind is Shreeyas. My first memories of Shreeyas were going to have Thali there. 6 Rupees for a plateful of 12 odd items, 9 of which you'd would never touch. The unenthusiastic waiters would occasionally visit you to replenish your plates with food that could be described as tolerable at best. Still, Shreeyas never kept running out of loyal customers. My father was one of them. He took us there every so often and I would keep praying that they'd have the two things I could push down my gullet. Actually, the two things I did like at Shreeyas were the yellow potato bhaji and one delicious vegetable dish in a coconut sauce. I think it was Goan vegetable curry with a 'brahmini' twist. And I loved it. It made the trip to Shreeyas bearable.Ingredients4 cups assorted vegetables chopped. (Broccoli, Caulifl...
More About: Vegetable , Curry

Idli
2007-06-06 02:55:00
After I passed out of Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya in 96 and my visits to Bajirao Rd were limited to the telephone exchange. There are a number of things I miss about my old college neighbourhood. Places like Saras Baug, Hindustan Bakery and most of all Wadeshwar. On Bajirao Road right opposite the telephone exchange there is a small place called that sells the most delicious idlis you'll ever eat. You wouldn't come across it unless you knew of it as the actual place is on the first floor, almost 10 metres above the footpath. 90% of Wadeshwar's business comes from Idli -Sambar. Two hot idlis in a bowl with a generous helping of Sambar that came out of a tap. And back then it was all at a very reasonable price or 2 Rupees making it a highly sought after destination for cheap bastards like yours truly. It was also a great place to sketch as some really interesting, senior gentry from the ‘old city’ frequented the place. Really the sketching wasn't as interesting as watching feeb...

Bhel
2007-06-05 02:34:00
Since I grew up on Prabhat Road, our park was Kamla Nehru Park or KNP as the young, smoking, drinking, college crowd called it. My fondest memories of eating bhel after a long evening session of play with friends of my childhood are outside the large iron gate of KNP. Bhola whel was our bhelwala. No real reason, that's the guy my mother would take us to. A fifty plus year old balding man whose complexion had been permanently burned to a dark brown from making bhel in the scorching Indian sun. He owned a humble pushcart with a hand painted board that said Bhola Bhel next to an anatomically questionable picture of Shankar. The glass containers that contained the papri and rice puffs had pictures of Bollywood stars that hadn't been updated for decades. He cut fine onion with a speed and onion that would rival a KithcenAid® Chopster™. With a cheery disposition he never failed to make serious small talk no matter how little his customers. And for 70 Paise (this is in 1978) he would...

Baked Beans on Toast
2007-05-30 17:24:00
My girlfriend once asked me what we were having for dinner that night. "Baked Beans on Toast " I replied. I swear she threw up a little in her mouth. Naturally, she thought I was referring to the British version which, unless you're from there, doesn't sound that tempting. I, however, was referring to the Indian version. Like any other food, we just took it, spiced it up and voila — Baked Beans on toast, Indian style. I had my first Baked Beans on Toast at Darshan on Prabhat Rd which is pretty much a pizza on sliced bread with spicy bean paste instead of marinara sauce and finely chopped toppings. It's delicious!Ingredients4 slices Sourdough Bread1 can Black Beans drained1 cup Green Gorbanzo beans (optional)1 Capsicum (Green Bell Pepper) finely chopped1 Onion finely chopped1 Tomato finely chopped1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded1/2 cup Cilantro4 tsp Green Chutney2 tbsp Olive Oil1/2 tsp Adobo All Purpose SeasoningMethodHeat olive oil in a wok and saute gorbanzo and black beans with A...

Avocado Paratha
2007-05-29 22:00:00
In Pune, XI Std is pretty much a year of rest after the grueling SSC exams. As a fresh college student who could borrow my brother's M80 (if anyone remembers those) when he didn't need it I would always visit the Pune University fountain. It was a great hangout for guys my age as we could park our vehicles and to watch the St. Joseph's girls. Apparently, that was an extremely popular pastime. The University fountain (for those old enough to remember it) was the place to hangout for some cheap eats and fresh air. It was also a great place for love birds returning from their rendezvous behind the tall grass patches at Pashan Lake to stop for a quick bite. The mist from the 3 story tall fountain kept the area cool and fresh and the many stalls provided the good, cheap eats to good, cheap kids. Sweet corn soup one by two, Dosa, Bhurjee Pao, the mysterious blue van that provided hot vadas and parathas. Sadly, the University fountain was demolished by an over-zealous and most probably ...
More About: Paratha

Green Chutney
2007-05-28 22:30:00
Main St and East St in the Pune Cantonment area, besides being a great shopping neighbourhood, are a hot destination for foodies. Anyone going to camp will ritually stop at 3 places. Marz-O-rin for sandwiches. Budhani for wafers (Potato Chips) and Kayani Bakery for some bitchin' Shrewsbury biscuits. It's the perfect food trifecta that will put you into food coma. The Marz-O-rin chutney sandwiches are one of my favourite foods in the world. I have eaten chutney sandwiches at many restaurants, but none quite like Marz-O-rin. Marz-O-rin started as a small shop selling sandwiches and has become a Pune landmark. I remember ordering a platter or 8 sandwiches for Rs. 3.00. It was money well spent. 8 finger sandwiches with a glass of mango juice and you were in heaven. If you were smart, you would already have paid a visit to Budhani to purchase 100 gm. hot potato wafers straight out of the wok to go with your sandwiches. The great taste of the chutney sandwiches is due to a secret family...
More About: Chutney , Green

Mutton Biryani
2007-05-22 23:04:00
I studied Applied Art at Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya in Pune. If you've ever driven past it, you know it takes real courage to admit that one studied there. During my fourth year, our class was situated in the basement of the college. This was great for two reasons. If it rained, the water in class came up at least waist level and all the tables would be floating. And if there was no electricity, it would be pitch dark. In any event, classes would be cancelled for the day. When this happened, there were two options. Either place yourself among some permanent fixtures at Vaishali. Or pig out on some of the most decadent Mutton Biryani at Durga Biryani House. Durga, which is situated on Tilak Road, right outside Tilak Smarak Mandir, is in a tiny 12' X 12' shop. It has a mezzanine floor which houses three and a half tables. I can bet good money that the mezzanine is an illegal construction. However, this is a minor detail when you consider that this little restaurant churns out the b...
More About: Ryan

Batata Vada
2007-05-22 20:02:00
No matter how many super-highways are built, I still maintain that the best way to travel Bombay-Pune is by Deccan Queen. Whenever I have traveled by the Deccan Queen, I made sure I got the window seat. I am always impressed by the beauty of the Sayadhri Ghats as the trains passes through the mountains, especially in the monsoons. And of course the monkeys. Who doesn't love monkeys. When you're traveling back to Pune from Bombay, the trains stop at Karjat station for 15 min where a second engine is added to the train. This is to help the heavy train climb the ghats. As soon as the train pulls into Karjat Station, one is greeted by some Men in Blue. No, not the ones (the Indian Cricket team) that have been disappointing us year after year with their dismal performances. I am speaking of Divadhkar Vadawala and his men in blue uniforms that bring the hot dumplings of deliciousness into the trains. This is probably the most delicious part of the Bombay-Pune train journey and are extre...
More About: Tata , Batata

Pav Bhaji
2007-05-21 17:07:00
A long, long time ago, before the construction of the architectural eyesore known as the Z bridge that links Junglee Maharaj Road to Narayan Peth, there used to be a cute little cause way. It may have been 12 feet in width, open only to two-wheelers and if you were lucky, not underwater. At the J M Road side of the cause way was the rear end of another extinct Pune landmark, Natraj Talkies (Cinema Theatre). Just outside the gate were two nameless sheds that made the most awesome Pav Bhaji I have ever eaten. It was as close as it gets to a drive-in in Pune. It was all pretty simple. You ride your vehicle as close to the stall as possible. The man behind the 'Tawa' would look at you. You would make eye contact and with a show of fingers suggest the quantity of your order. There were also some unmentionable ways to indicate how spicy you wanted your food to be— and it involved fingers. But let's not get into that. Soon the order would arrive via a waiter, usually an over-confident...
More About: Haji

Mutton Rassa (Watery lamb curry)
2007-05-20 02:19:00
Mutton Rassa (Maharashtrian lamb curry) was probably the first food I knew I couldn't live without. My grandmother, my mother and all my aunts would make their own garam masala. Although my grandma has passed away, her memory still lives on every time I cook something as my garam masala still comes from home. I have had Mutton Rassa all over Pune, but only the Parsi restaurants do real justice to the Rassa part of it. Although it has been 9 long years since I've been to Cafe Good Luck on Fergusson College Rd, I still remember the L shaped restaurant where time seems to have stood still. The entrance is at the apex of the L and one wing extends into the dining area, the other is only for tea consumption. I remember the slightly bent old man who used to sit at the counter. He was a grumpy old man with a blue fly swatter. An old, rickety fan from the 1950's used to keep him cool. My father would tell me that he was quite the dashing man when my father was a regular at Good Luck in h...
More About: Curry , Lamb , Mutton

Vegetarian Hummus Sandwich
2007-05-16 18:28:00
I attended the opening of Hotel Darshan on Prabhat Road back in 1976. A huge tumbler of Mosambi Juice (sweet-lime) was only 80 Paise (2 cents) back then. It was one of the first hotels to grace Prabhat road. It had a long orange door that has to be taken apart and reassembled to open and close the restaurant. Clearly no one's considered the option of replacing it with a collapsible gate. Darshan has some really great dishes on their menu. And they have Maharashtrianized pretty much everything they have taken a stab at. Their pizzas with generous helpings of Amul® Cheese and cashews, as tasty as they are, can scrape the roof of your mouth. It's enough to make any Italian shrivel. Then there is the Good Night Milkshake. A decadent orgy of milk, cream, Chikoo, Figs and pretty much every dry fruit available locally, it will put you into a deep slumber within minutes. And if you choose to go for the special, they'd put a dollop of homemade vanilla ice cream . My girlfriend insists ...
More About: Vegetarian , Sandwich

Kolambi Khichadi (Prawn Rice)
2007-05-15 01:02:00
Residents of Colaba are familiar with the fishy smell of Sassoon Docks near by. Or Eau de Colaba as I prefer to call it. The fishing boats are already docked by early morning and the auction of the day's catch takes place early in the morning around 5:30 a.m. By 11:30 a.m. it arrives at homes in Pune. There are fish mongers that bring the catch straight to your homes on specially fashioned bicycles. The fish is held in large cane baskets filled with ice attached directly to the bicycles. After a decent amount of haggling the over priced fish makes it to the kitchen by noon in time for lunch by 1:00 p.m. Prawns are a favourite among fish mongers as they're expensive and they can carry a good amount in their baskets effortlessly. They are the best way to cheat poor housewives on the weight if they aren't paying attention. There are few recipes for fish in Pune, almost all of which come from the Konkan strip. Fish Koliwada (Fish Fry), Kalvan Bhat (Fish Curry and white rice) and Kola...
More About: Rice

Kanda Poha
2007-05-12 04:10:00
Picture by RovinglFor many Puneites or Maharashtrians, a Poha Program is a running joke and for some a pretty hair- raising experience. For the non-Maharashtrians, a poha program is when a boy of marriageable age goes to a girl's house for the purpose of an arranged marriage with the decision makers of his family. Decision maker in this case may or may not include the two parties actually getting hitched. The meeting usually takes place in the evening hours. Somewhere around tea time, but much before dinner time. The most popular dish that is served at this time is Kanda Pohe. Very quick and easy to make, and really hard to screw up. And no matter who makes the Poha, it is always passed off as a shining example of the bride-to-be's many special talents. As for those of you guys who fell in love without first testing the poha-power of your bride to be, you can still fix a decent plate for yourselves. Here's how:Ingredients:3 cups Thick Poha1 large White Onion finely chopped1 Potat...