Picante Ristorante- A Wonderful Gormandizing Experience

New experiences in the New Year and I saw myself entering an all vegetarian restaurant for dinner on a Tuesday night. Yes, I was surprised too but the satisfying experience I had with the Mexican, Lebanese and Italian spread at Picante Ristorante has really upped the value of vegetarian food in my head.

The wall art

Picante Ristorante, located at Breach Candy near the Mahalaxmi Temple (in the same building as Bombay Bronx and Py Bar), is a veggie friendly restaurant serving three cuisines- Mexican, Lebanese and Italian. The place doesn’t serve alcohol but does some really good concoctions of mocktails to go with the food that they serve. The highlights of the décor of the place are its wall art and the waiters dressed in ponchos and sombreros. The lighting is perfect and sets you in the mood to gorge on the food.

The bar that does not serve alcohol. Virgin- that's how they roll!

We were served the Peach Iced Tea and Virgin Mojito while we waited for our gastronomically adventurous evening to begin. Both the drinks were extremely refreshing.

(L) Virgin Mojito ; (R) Peach Iced Tea

We started off with the Stuffed Mushrooms (Rs. 285 for a full portion) which is baked mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheddar cheese served with a generous spread of the in-house mayo on top. When they say “stuffed” they mean business. These bite sized Stuffed Mushrooms were a great launch to our meal. The cheese explodes in your mouth and the spinach balances it just perfectly.  Their in-house mayo adds the “X factor” to the dish. Mushrooms are one of my favourite vegetarian foods (yes there is a list of that too) and this preparation just kicked its place a notch higher in my head. Warm and cheesy.. yummy.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Char Grilled Cottage Cheese

Next on our plates was the Char Grilled Cottage Cheese (Rs. 395 for a full portion). The menu describes it as crispy brioche topped with Pomodoro sauce and grilled cottage cheese. Brioche is a bread of French origin. This crisped in all the right places with soft grilled cottage cheese and smothered generously with the flavourful Pomodoro sauce (a tomato based Italian sauce prepared with tomatoes and garlic) with a topping of the in-house mayo was a great combination put on our plates - crunchy yet soft.

Grilled Zucchini Rolls

Then came along the Grilled Zucchini Rolls (Rs. 345 for a full portion); spiced ricotta mixed with some cottage cheese and chopped up black olives rolled within thin strips of grilled zucchini. The olives gave a great blend and balance to the cheese mixture. The grilled zucchini was surprisingly quite a combination with this…. it added texture to the dish for something to bite into. This again drizzled with some in house mayo was tasty. However, it was not something I would come back for particularly.

Next up was this bold gravied starter we know as Habanero Cottage Cheese (Rs. 395 for a full portion). The Habanero Cottage Cheese is one of those dishes that you just can’t get enough of. Mexico is the largest consumer of the Habanero Chilli. Owing to its hot flavor and aroma, this spicy ingredient has become quite popular all over the world. That said and the fact that I LOVE spices, this dish totally revamped the meaning of a cottage cheese dish for me. The Habanero sauce was a perfect blend of citrusy, sweet and spicy flavours. While I kept doing the oohs and aahs because of the hot stuff that this was, I would soothe my tongue with a sip of the peach iced tea and happily come back for another bite. This dish is fiery and not for the faint hearted. But ask them to do a mild spicy version and I'm sure they'd oblige. And if you must try the “caution hot” version, as described in the menu, I recommend you keep a tall glass of the Peach Iced Tea next to you. This is one dish that the spice lovers are not going to regret trying.

Habanero Cottage Cheese

Felafill

At this juncture it was imperative to pacify the palate with some mild flavours and the Felafill (Rs. 225)- pocket pita bread with a filling of falafel, hummus, vegetables and sauces- was served with that intention. Unfortunately, this Lebanese dish started off as a let downer since in the first bite we could hardly taste anything but pita and the veggies. However, towards the end when the hummus made its presence felt, the overall blend was quite amazing. If the spread of the hummus is even then this dish would be quite a catch on the Lebanese front!

(Clockwise from the top) Verdure; Picante; Margherita; Fiama

With the wide variety of pizzas on the menu, we just had to try something. They served us two slices each of four different pizzas from their menu- The Margherita (classic cheese and basil) (Rs. 425 for a full portion), Fiama (Onions and Chilli Flakes) (Rs. 445 for a full portion), Verdure (Bell Peppers, Onions, Jalapenos and Black Olives) (Rs. 495 for a full portion), and Picante (Jalapenos, Onions and Green Chillies) (Rs. 495 for a full portion). I quite enjoyed the Fiama as the onions added a bit of sweetness to the chilli flakes. The Picante was great too- all spicy (living up to the meaning of the word) and cheesy. Special mention for the pizza base- freshly baked, thin and crisp- just like an Italian Pizza base should be.

Burrito Bowl

It was time for some Mexican fare to show up and the contender was the Burrito Bowl (Rs. 425 for a full portion). The menu describes this as their twist on the traditional burrito served in a bowl with Mexican rice, beans, grilled vegetables,  fresh corn, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. The plating was colourful and beautiful but it was downhill from there. I found the Burrito Bowl to be quite bland. Pepping up the flavours of the salsa would do wonders to this dish. Otherwise this is just avoidable.

Kibbeh Jibnah (Rs. 425 for a full portion) is another such dish served at Picante Ristorante that I have favourited and would happily and readily go back for. A creamy mixture of spinach, potatoes and feta cheese served in potato pancakes- absolute delish and comfort all over. The potatoes stuffing in the pancake is not mashed potatoes but a delightful potato sauce. The Restaurant Manager recommended that we eat this with the cheese garlic dip and trust me, this Lebanese dish is just something else. Special mention for the cheesy garlic dip---- what magic!

Kibbeh Jibnah with the Garlic Sauce 

Penne in Paprika (Rs. 475 for a full portion) –had a rich texture and was wonderfully flavoured. I can’t comment on how authentic this pasta preparation was but it was thoroughly enjoyed by my taste buds. Nothing else required :) 

Penne in Paprika

And for the grand dessert---The Cookie. Warm, doughy, gooey cookie with delicious chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream; this is a cookie monster in terms of the taste. This remarkable dessert, the restaurant claims, is its trademark dish and I am not surprised why. Also, the cookie is served in the dish in which it is baked ensuring that you can eat it hot right out of the oven. The Cookie is something anyone would definitely go back for. I could happily start a meal with this dessert and then the rest can follow. Going by the number of dishes we had already hogged on, you can imagine how well fed we were, but one bite of this and we were almost fighting and swearing by Joey Tribbiani’s “Joey doesn’t share food” dialogue. I was thinking about it and drooling even on my way back home. This is just one of those things that you have to try for yourself and believe. The Cookie is an experience and you don’t want to miss this at any cost.

The Cookie Image Source

The service was great. We exchanged a few words with Mr. Manoj Kakde, the Restaurant Manager, during the course of our meal and his recommendations added great value to our meal. The person attending to us, Mr. Shehzaad, was extremely cordial and well versed with the dishes and their preparation. There were a few hits and a few misses when on the food front, but over all we had a wonderful experience and left the place with a huge smile and a kilo or two extra.

Will I go there again? Yes yes yes! For the Cookie Cookie Cookie. And also for the Habanero Cottage Cheese, the Stuffed Mushrooms, the Kibbeh Jibnah, the Penne in Paprika and the Fiama and Picante Pizzas.

Where is it? 401, Akruti Skypark, Near Mahalaxmi Temple, Breach Candy, Mumbai  Contact: 022 30151097

(The author dined there on invitation.)

My Comfort Food

Hello hello hello! So I have been missing, hibernating and undercover(s) (literally) for a while now, at least as far as the blog is concerned. Not to say that I haven’t been gorging on scrumptious food now and then but the lazy bum in me has just not been penning it down. And could that be because nothing was as inspiring to be written about? Let me think. No. it’s just me- I am lazy. However, I have finally come out of my shell and I am ready to bombard the blog, for the benefit of all my lovely readers, with some delicious stories.

Winters are here, whatever little we get in Bombay (Nothing compared to the winters in the North. Nothing!), and the mood is all set. Spicy food is always a plus in winters because of the heat it generates. And here, keeping in line with the lovely weather, I give to you the tale of me cooking this amazing, simple, colourful, fiery and delectable Super Junglee Chicken Curry. This one is specifically for all the mirchi lovers but of course, the spice can be adjusted for those with delicate palates.  Another fuss free dish that I love, and which turns out extremely tasty is our very own, close to heart, and comfort food for many- Paneer Bhurji.

Both the dishes are extremely easy to prepare and are well suited for someone to inaugurate their inner chef with!

Super Junglee Chicken Curry

This dish is extremely close to my heart because it was the first chicken dish prepared by me without any help/ supervision from my mom or any other person. It was just one of those times when I really wanted to eat the ghar ka chicken curry with rice and well when you’re staying over 1500 kilometers away from your home then no, calling up mommy and requesting chicken curry is not an option. So I just decided to give this recipe that I had found online a shot. I mean how difficult could it be right? Right! It is extremely simple. You can actually read a book or watch your favourite movie side by side or even chit chat on your phone while this dish is being prepared. Trust me.

Let’s get started!

This dish serves 2-3 persons.

Ingredients:

Skinless Chicken (on the bone)- ½ kg (washed and cleaned)

Oil- 3 tbsp

Fennel Seeds / Saunf - 2 tsp

Red Onions  - 2 large thinly sliced

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Tomato-4 chopped

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker on medium flame and once heated, add the fennel seeds/ saunf.
• Once the fennel seeds have crackled add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes.
• When the onions have been sautéed well, add in the ginger garlic paste and mix well.
•  Next add in the salt and all the spice powders. Mix well.
• Throw in the chopped tomatoes. The tomatoes can be roughly or finely chopped  depending on the type of texture you prefer. Throw in the curry leaves as well and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy.
  
• Once the tomatoes have become soft add in the chicken pieces. Toss well in the masala.
• Now cover the pressure cooker and let it cook for 3 whistles. (This is the time you can read a book or do something else on the side).
• After the 3 whistles, lower the flame and cook for 15 minutes on a low flame.
• Switch off the flame and let the pressure go all by itself. 
• After opening the pressure cooker add the coriander leaves and mix well.
• Serve with rice or roti.

Paneer Bhurji

Simple vegetarian comfort food- that’s what Paneer Bhurji means to me. It is a popular north Indian dish. Bhurji means scrambled and in this dish the main ingredient is scrambled cottage cheese. I remember there used to be days at home when I would insist on Paneer Bhurji being made if something that I wasn’t too fond of had been prepared for a meal. The fact that it’s simple, quick and easy is an added bonus.

This dish serves 2-3 persons.

Ingredients:

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 200 gms, crumbled

Red Onion- 1 medium sized, finely chopped

Tomato- 1 large or 2 medium sized finely chopped

Green Chillies- 1 or 2, finely chopped

Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder or haldi- ¼ tsp

Red Chilli Powder- ½ tsp

Garam Masala Powder- ¼ tsp

Cumin Seeds or Jeera- ½ tsp

Oil/ Ghee/ Butter - 1.5 tbsp

Salt as required

Coriander/dhania leaves for garnishing (optional)

Method:

• First and foremost, crumble the paneer/cottage cheese and keep aside. If you are using frozen paneer (Amul or any other brand), take it out of the packet and soak it in luke warm water for a few minutes. This will defrost the paneer and make it soft thus making it easy to crumble.  (Note- The paneer can be crumbled by chopping, grating or mashing with hands. Out of all these methods, mashing the paneer with hands would be the best so as to retain the soft texture of the paneer. I would insist you do that. Get your hands messy. It’s worth it!)
• Heat the oil/ ghee or butter in a pan and once heated, add the cumin seeds.
• Once the cumin seeds have browned add the onions and sauté for a few minutes.
• Do not let the onions cook for a long time. As soon as they turn translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and the chopped green chillies. Saute the ingredients till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
• Then add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft. Adding a pinch of salt at this stage will help the tomatoes cook faster.
• Once the tomatoes have become soft, add all the dry spice powders - turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder. Mix well.
• At this stage add the crumbled paneer and let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not cook the paneer for a long time as it would lose its soft texture.
• Lastly add chopped coriander leaves to paneer bhurji and mix.
• Serve the delicious and colorful paneer bhurji with toast/ roti/ paranthas or pav. I served mine with fresh and warm pav :) !

Needless to say, both these dishes make me think of home and home food! Try them out and surprise someone :)