Tomato Soup (No Corn Flour Added)

Years ago, and by that, I mean about two decades ago, I used to make a tomato soup recipe with added corn flour. (For the life of me, I cannot recollect where I had sourced it from). One fine day I suddenly decided to make tomato soup without any thickening agent (haan, hateli Bawi hu, aise jhatke kabhi kabhi lag jaate hai. :P ). This is the recipe that emerged from that ‘jhatka’. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 kilo red, ripe tomatoes

1 carrot; peeled and diced

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic; peeled

2 cups water

Salt; to taste

Black pepper powder; to taste

Sugar; to taste

2 slices bread; cut into cubes

2 teaspoons oil

Method:

1. Wash the tomatoes. Cut a slit or two into each tomato.
2. Put the tomatoes in a pressure cooker, add 2 cups water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. 
3. Remove cooker from heat and allow the pressure to release by itself. 
4. Remove tomatoes from the cooker, peel the skin.
5. Remove carrots, garlic and celery; keep aside.
6. Strain the water from the cooker; keep aside.
7. When the tomatoes are cool enough, put them in a grinder with carrots, garlic and celery and whiz to a smooth pulp.
8. Strain the pulp in a sieve to ensure the pulp is devoid of seeds and is of a velvety texture.
9. Heat the pulp; add half to three-fourth cup of the strained soupy water. (Add more or less depending on the consistency you desire; I prefer a thick, hearty soup).
10. Add seasonings to taste. (I added 1¼ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon and a wee bit more of pepper powder and 2 tablespoons sugar).  
11. Simmer for a few minutes and take the pot off the heat. 
12. Heat oil in a small non-stick pan. Add the bread cubes and on very gentle heat keep tossing the bread cubes until they beautifully crisp up on all sides. 
13. Pour the soup into soup bowl and garnish with the bread croutons. 

Chef Notes: 

1. All three seasonings (salt, pepper and sugar) added by me have been mentioned in exact quantities but please adjust these three seasonings according to taste. My family prefers a sweetish tomato soup with a hard backlash of black pepper.
2. I prefer not to deep-fry the croutons but if you prefer deep fried ones go right ahead and do that. Those will work too.
3. If you aren’t fond of soggy croutons, serve them on the side instead of adding them as garnish to the soup.
4. You may, of course, use olive oil or butter to fry the croutons. 
5. This quantity makes 3 small, or 2 large, bowls of soup.
6. You may share the direct link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Independence Brewing Company - My Go-To-Chill-Out Place!

Independence Brewing Company invited Team #FoodProwl for a tasting. They’ve added new dishes to the existing menu and we were invited for a tasting of the new dishes.

I’m not new to IBC; I invariable end up there with friends or my mum. Over the months, during some of those luncheons, I had already ordered a few dishes from the ‘Trial/Chef’s Menu’ hence I knew this was going to be an afternoon of excellent food.

They began the tasting by serving us various cocktails and mocktails. The teetotaler in me opted for the Pino-Co mocktail. It was a very refreshing blend of fresh pineapple, orange juice, cranberry juice, coconut syrup and mint.

The first starter brought to the table was the Gunpowder Button Idlis. I’ll have you know, I love South Indian food but, I hate idlis! The only thing I wanna do with them is use them for discus throw. (those of you who like idlis are probably going to slaughter me :P ).  These idlis, though, were like no other! Ghee fried and tempered with mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves; these soft pillow-y clouds were sprinkled with hues of sunset (read: gunpowder). Sigh! Put this on your ‘must try’ list and, don’t forget to thank me later. :D (Note: This review is delayed by three weeks and in these three weeks, I have already been to IBC, twice, to hog on these delectable babies)

The other starters served were Stir Fried Chicken Liver in Green Masala, Bohri Style Smoked Mutton Kheema Samosas, Pulled Pork Tacos, Independence Wings Dry Rub Cajun Style, Chicken & Prawn Dumplings in Sichuan Chilli Oil and Masala Fry Calamari.

One of our team mates’ steers clear of organ meat hence was a tad apprehensive about trying the chicken liver. But after taking one hesitant bite, even he could not stop raving about how good it was. Yes, it was ‘that’ good! 

The Bohri Style Smoked Mutton Kheema Samosas were one of the best in the city. The kheema was beautifully smoked and the spices used were light and fragrant. The savoury kheema shone its way through the golden crisp outer covering. 

The Independence Wings and the Masala Fry Calamari were also very nicely done. It’s always a pleasure to eat well cooked calamari and this was just that. They were spicy, but I love spicy food. They served the calamari with Garlic Bread which helped to tone down the heat level.  

The Pulled Pork Tacos were soft shelled tacos filled with juicy pulled pork meat and sautéed sliced onions. The salsa served on the side, paired very nicely with the tacos. 

The dumpling wrapper for the Chicken & Prawn Dumplings in Sichuan Chilli Oil was delicate and the filling was delish! The Sichuan Chilli Oil added a certain oomph to the dish and yet, wasn’t “mouth-burningly” spicy.

Achari Paneer Sandwich and Grilled Fish Burger were the next two dishes brought to the table. The Achari Paneer was good, but the sandwich turned out to be a tad salty. We informed the chef of the same and he promised to look into it. We also requested he lessen the capsicum and onion quotient in the sandwich so as to allow the Achari Paneer to shine. 

As for the Grilled Fish Burger, unlike most restaurants that use Basa, IBC uses Bhetki. The fish was grilled to juicy perfection; it was excellent. This was one scrumptious burger!

We also tried the Four Cheese Pizza. The four cheeses used were, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Feta and Blue Cheese. While all the cheeses did their bit for the pizza, it was the Blue Cheese that gave the pizza its zing and shine.

For mains we were served Spaghetti Carbonara, Nasi Goreng, Classic Lamb Stew, Soya Chilli Pork Chops and Independence Butter Chicken.

The Spaghetti Carbonara was cooked to perfect al dente texture and was creamy and toothsome. The bacon lent a lovely smokiness to the dish. 

The Nasi Goreng itself was not as flavourful as a Malaysian Nasi Goreng should be, but the chicken skewers served with it were yummy! 

The Lamb Stew was rich and robust in flavor, as was the Independence Butter Chicken. 

 I’m always on the look out for a good butter chicken and this turned out to be a very good one. Creamy, not too spicy and definitely not sweet; it was puuurfect! 

The Soya Chilli Pork Chops were beautifully rendered pieces of ‘oink’. The fat to meat ratio was correct and the pork was cooked to ‘fall of the bone’ consistency; they just melted on the palate.

We ended the meal with Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Tart, Coffee and Coconut Pudding and Chocolate Souffle with Ice Cream and Custard Sauce. 

The delicate tart casing was filled with a thin layer of salted caramel and dark chocolate and sprinkled with granules of rock salt. The flavours performed a perfect tango on the palate. 

The Chocolate Souffle served at IBC is the best in the city. I say that with firm conviction! That perfect rise of souffle, the molten chocolate within; it’s beyond decadent! 

The Coffee and Coconut Pudding was served with a quenelle of fresh cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. The coffee and the coconut flavours were well balanced. Smooth and creamy with a hint of caramel, it’s a dessert that will appeal to most people.

This was an invite for a tasting but, as I mentioned earlier, I frequent IBC often because it never lets me down with regard to food or service. The place is classy with regard to food and service and yet has a vibe that allows you to relax. Their music playlist is just as awesome as the food they serve. It’s a place I return to time and again and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. *greedy grin*

Address: 79/1, Zero One Complex, Pingale Vasti, Mundhwa, Pune

Tel: +91 8888168886 / 020 26881500

Some more photographs to drool over...

Effingut Brewerkz – A Hard Punch To My Gut & Soul!

I never ever imagined I would be penning a review as the one I am penning right now. I contemplated for days whether I should write this review, but I had to be fair to the work I put out for people who read my reviews hence…. If I write when the food is stellar, then it’s only right that I pen when the food isn’t up to the mark. 

Effingut Brewerkz has been on my list of favourite restaurants for as long as it’s been around. On a recent trip to Mumbai, (this was a ‘mein aur meri tanhai’ kinda trip where I chose to meet up with merely one or two close friends - #ILoveMySolitude ) knowing that Apru Effy had begun operations in Mumbai, I opted to eat lunch there with my friend, Chetna. I chose Effingut over all other restaurants in SoBo.

After we reached, I clicked a couple of photographs of the restaurant interiors and got down to ordering food. I had been itching to try the Hot Wings that I had heard so much about. My friend and I were too chicken to try the Bhut Jolakia and Spicy Harrisa, hence we opted for the Mango Habanero Wings and our all-time Pune favourite, Prawns Mustard Chili. The Mango Habanero Wings were to die for. The flavours were excellent! Spicy, quite spicy, but not to the extent that it would blow a hole in your gut. It is very unfair that we, Punekars, do not have these stellar babies on the Pune menu. *wicked grin with the hope that they get added to the menu*

This is where everything positive about this meal ends…

Mustard Chili Prawns at Effingut Brewerkz - Mumbai Colaba

The Prawns Mustard Chili is a dish I never tire of. I have to have this whenever I step into Effy. This time was no different but, unfortunately, the dish served was very different to what is served in Pune. I cannot complain about the chili quotient, but the mustard and the prawns were all wrong. Instead of the beautifully subtle mustard I am used to, the mustard here was potent and the prawns were rubbery and overcooked. Such a big disappointment this!

Mustard Chili Prawns at Effingut Brewerkz - Pune (for comparison with regard to the delicate mustard coating)

Nasi Goreng at Effingut Brewerkz - Pune (for comparison with regard to the spice quotient of the rice and prawns)

We chose to order one main and share. Once again, I opt for a Pune favourite; Prawn Nasi Goreng. The dish was very well presented. We took a skewer each of prawn that was on the platter and shared the rice. 

When we tried to de-skewer the prawns they were stuck to the skewer like their lives depended on it; little did we realize at the time they were very dead (read on to know why I say this). We finally pried them loose on to our respective plates. I ate precisely one morsel of rice and it was nothing like the one we have at Pune. Chefs differ? Yes! Recipes may differ a tad bit? Yes! But these flavours were just not Nasi Goreng. The rice looked and felt like Masala Bhaat. That’s the only way I can describe what I was served. 

I decided to munch on the skewered prawn. I picked up the prawn and bit into it. I gagged! I literally gagged! The stench was of a prawn gone so bad, it was inedible: it had probably been dead for decades. (Decade is, of course, an exaggeration but you get my drift) I spat out the prawn into a tissue, called the server and told him about the issue. 

I've pixel-ated the morsel I spat out as it's not a pretty sight :( 

He took the platter and my plate into the kitchen and came back with a very sheepish look. He agreed, the prawns had gone bad. Only those who have ever have the misfortune of biting into disgusting rotten seafood would know what I mean and what I went through for those few minutes. The putrid taste and smell lingered on my senses for what seemed like a very long time. Even Diet Coke could not wash it away. I was gutted at this experience!

My friend had to head back into the city for work hence we quickly ordered a Chicken Nachos. Though it looked very pretty, this too turned out to be a very average dish. The nachos were nothing to write home about. The melted cheese felt like a diluted, thin cheese sauce. I’d made a mental note to not to judge the new dish based on my earlier experience but truly, this dish was very mediocre!

By this time, with the kind of experience we’d had with the food, all we wanted to do was wind up the lunch and leave hence we skipped dessert.

Do I forgive the chef for having a bad day? I do not! I understand a bad day when the food sent out is spicy, salty, oily or overcooked, but when a knowledgeable chef sends out putrid food to my table which could well have landed me at a doctor’s doorstep, or at a hospital, then that is not the kind of bad day I will excuse. If he was having such a bad day, he should have simply taken the off day and stayed home. By the way, even a home cook like me only has to handle a prawn and sniff it once, to know it’s gone bad so absolutely no excuses there.

Four staff members (servers and manager) came over to apologize for the kind of lunch we’d been served. All four requested that I allow them to waive off the entire bill. It was, truly, a very sweet and kind gesture, but I saw no reason why an establishment should bear the cost of what I’d eaten hence each server got politely but sternly sent back to get the bill. Haan, bahut ziddi hu! They, of course, did not charge me for the Nasi Goreng. The Pune Eat Outs (PEO) food discount card got me a 33% discount and the damages for the afternoon were 1095…. and a very sad, broken heart! ☹

Address: Dhanraj Mahal, Next to the Bentley Showroom, Colaba, Mumbai

Tel: +91 8657440661 / +91 8657440664