Sasikanth | - Page 18

My Kitchen: Aloo Korma

Last week, decided to take the gravy I cooked to the next level. With a few minor modifications, and addition of aloo, here is the new recipe.

Ingredients Required
1 cup Potato cubes, 1 Onion, a handful of peanuts and cashew nuts, Maggi Masala cube (if available), Garam Masala powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Chili powder, 2 spoon Curd, Salt, Oil/Butter.

Procedure
Heat the pan and fry the onion, peanuts and cashew nuts with a little oil or butter, and then turn off the flame. Once they cool off, put these into a mixer grinder and make a fine paste. Heat some ghee or butter in a pan and fry the cumin seeds. Next add the fried paste and let it cook for a while. Add all the masala, chilli powder and salt and simmer it for 10 more minutes. Add the curd and the potato cubes, and simmer until aloo is cooked. Add some cooking colour if desired. Garnish with cashew nuts and coriander. Yummilicious Aloo Korma is ready

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Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

PS: You can pre-boil the cubes potato pieces in a microwave to reduce cooking time.

Kathmandu Momos | Restaurant Review

Place: Kathmandu Momos
Location: Yashoda Hospital Bus Stop, Opp. Saboo Motors, Somajiguda
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: Dinner

Having read quite a bit about this small stall selling Momos (another Hidden Gem on Zomato), I ventured out to give them a try. The place was quite difficult to find for it is a small stall within a bus stop, with just a banner and no lights. For anyone searching, just look for a man standing across a table at the bus stop opposite Saboo Motors/Inner Circle. Being a roadside stall, there’s no place to sit and eat; it’s more like having pani puri off a bandi.

I discovered the place a little past 9:00 PM, and the owner, Om Prakash, was in the process of packing things up. All he had were the last 10 pieces of Paneer Momos, 6 of which were reserved by someone else (on phone). So without a choice, I opted for the remaining 4 Momos. The usual options are Vegetable, Chicken and Paneer.

Three of the Momos were piping hot and really soft, while one was a little hard. On taste front, they were actually as good as the ones I had on my visit to Leh. The paneer filling had a nice flavor to it, and the Momos tasted yum along with the tangy, spicy szechuan chutney. I was left craving for more, for another night.

Priced reasonably (50 bucks for a regular plate of 6 Paneer/Chicken, and 40 for Vegetable), this place is really a hidden gem in Hyderabad. I’m going back soon to try their Vegetable Momos. Give it a shot and lemme know what you think 🙂

Food: 9/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: Rs. 30/- (for 4 Momos)

Verdict: 9/10

Needs Dhaba | Restaurant Review

Place: Needs Dhaba
Location: Lane adj. Life Style, Kundan Bagh
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with a friend)

Met my friend after a long time and we wanted to try 13 Dhaba. But it was already late (around 10:00 PM), and apparently 13 Dhaba closes by then. I had read about this dhaba in the Hidden Gems section of Zomato a while ago, and so decided to give it a try instead. It might be a difficult place to find if you aren’t looking, as it is located on the first floor of an old building at Kundan Bagh. Walking in, the restaurant was shabby and the tables seemed dirty. However, it was pretty much packed even at this hour, and we found ourselves a table right next to a window.

Unlike most other dhabas in the city, this place also serves non-vegetarian food. Still, their menu wasn’t really long. We started of with Paneer 65, and ordered an onion and gobi paratha with Kaju Masala curry for main course. We also ordered for a Lassi and Mango Milkshake.

The starter was served in about 10 minutes. Though the quantity seemed good, the paneer pieces were dripping in oil. On taste front, it was just alright, and the paneer wasn’t that fresh. A thick layer of oil on bottom of the dish was a huge turn off.

The curry and parathas were served next. For 100 bucks, quantity of the curry seemed less, and it tasted mediocre. There was too much cumin powder which kinda ruined the gravy. Being a Punjabi dhaba, I was hoping the parathas to be thick and oozing with butter, but they turned out being close to terrible. They were very thin, with barely any stuffing, and dry as a phulka. Those who’ve reviewed that this place serves awesome parathas, sorry but it seems like you’ve never tasted an authentic paratha in your life! These were horrendous.

Hoping for a miracle, we ordered a Veg. Pulao to finish our meal. At around the same time, the lassi and milkshake were finally served.

Honestly, these turned out to be the best part of the meal. The lassi was thick, creamy and lip smacking good, and so was the Mango milkshake. We in fact ordered for a second round of the milkshake.

The Pulao was served along with a small portion of Chole. With the rice being very dry, and barely any vegetables, it turned out to be a forgettable dish.

Overall, but for the lassi and milkshake, it was a bad experience. The service was pretty slow, and the ambiance wasn’t great either. We weren’t even served water during our entire meal. Though the prices seemed reasonable, it actually turned out to be an expensive affair while we weren’t satisfied with the meal. Give it a shot for their drinks for they are the only things worth your money here.

I haven’t found any hidden gem at this place!

Food: 5.5/10
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 420/-

Verdict: 6/10

Santosh Dhaba | Restaurant Review

Place: Santosh Dhaba
Location: Kondapur
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Take-away

Amma and dad were travelling through Kondapur during lunch hour last week, and decided to bring some food home for lunch. Not just me, but dad also likes the food at Santosh Dhaba (Abids), so from the abundant choices in and around Kondapur, they chose this one.

They ordered for Malai Kofta, Kaju Biryani and Butter Naan. Apparently, the order took longer than usual (for Santosh Dhaba standards), and they had to wait for about 15 minutes for the food to be packed.

Unpacking the contents, the food looked yum. The Malai Kofta was delicious, with a couple of well cooked kofta balls. The gravy was thick and had a nice flavor. I was dreading the Butter Naan to have become rubbery, but it turned out to be pretty soft. The best dish of the meal though was the amazing Kaju Biryani. Full of cashew nuts, this was one of the best biryani I’ve had in recent times. Not too spicy, rice full of flavor, yummilicious! The gravy served along was equally good as well.

Overall, an excellent meal. Because of their oily food, I’ve been avoiding Santosh Dhaba of recent. Yes, their food is oily and greasy, but is usually delicious too, and the quantity is sumptuous. It’s a must try for any Punjabi food loving vegetarian. Try them out (any of the six locations in town) if you haven’t yet, and lemme know what you think 🙂

Food: 9/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 2: Rs. 235/-

Verdict: 8.5/10

How To Train Your Dragon 2 | Movie Review

How To Train Your Dragon 2

How To Train Your Dragon was a really cute movie and I really liked the 2010 film, so I was really excited about the sequel. While not as cute as the first, it’s still a good film nevertheless.

Directed by Dean DeBlois who co-directed the first movie, this one has Hiccup all grown up, trying to explore and find new worlds. What awaits him is a big surprise, and towards the end, a challenge against his best companion. Compared to the first, I thought too much was happening on the screen at a given instant in this one. While direction is neat, I thought it could have been better. The emotions towards the climax also could have been handled way better for everything happened so fast.

Music by John Powell is a definite asset to the film apart from the cinematography by Roger Deakins. The colors are brilliant and the 3D effects are good, but could have been better.

Is it worth your time and money??: If you loved the first film, you’re sure to love this too, but it just seemed a lot. Still worth a watch!

Worth mention: The scene where Toothless fights Alpha.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7.5/10
Technical Aspects: 9/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

Swathi Tiffins | Restaurant Review

Place: Swati Tiffin Center
Location: Behind the bus stand, Mehdipatnam.
Cuisine: Tiffins and Indian
Meal: Take-away

I last reviewed this place 3 years ago (review). Since then, a lot has changed in Hyderabad. But there are still a few places which serve pretty good food at reasonable prices, and Swathi remains one of them. Was passing by Mehdipatnam last week, and decided to pack some yummy food.

I ordered a Kaju Masala, Butter Naan and Vegetable Biryani. It took forever for the food to be packed and I was starting to get restless while my food was finally ready.

The Kaju Masala looked yum and tasted pretty good. Though the gravy was thick and full of cashew, it was very spicy. Even with the best Butter Naan in Hyderabad, it was hot! And ya, theirs is definitely the best Butter Naan in town without a doubt; in layers, oozing butter, and as thin as a Roomali roti.

Their Biryani used to be pretty good and I was hoping that it’d be the same. Stuffed with curry under the rice, it’s similar to Bombay style Biryani. While it still tasted good even this time around, it also was pretty spicy. Looks like the chef was trying to get rid of all the chilli in the kitchen.

Overall a decent meal, but for the spice. Both the Kaju Masala and Biryani would have been excellent if they had gone easy on the chilli. The service, while I was waiting for my food, seemed bad with waiters getting into arguments with customers. The place always had mediocre ambiance and it hasn’t improved over time. So opt for an take-away. Give it a shot if you haven’t already, and make sure you ask your food to be less spicy.

Food: 7.5/10
Ambience: N/A
Service: N/A
Meal for 2: Rs. 230/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

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Place: Swati Tiffin Center
Location: Opp. Yashoda Hospital, Raj Bhavan Road
Cuisine: Tiffins and Indian
Meal: Take-away

A couple of days later, happened to pass by Raj Bhavan road and decided to pack some dinner for me and amma. This place looks almost similar to the one at Mehdipatnam (almost all Swathi’s look the same), and has small seating area in the basement. Ambiance is also very similar, a basic tiffin center.

I ordered the same food as a couple of days ago, mainly to compare tastes: Kaju Masala, Butter Naan and Special Vegetable Biryani. The food was prepared pretty quick, and I was on my way home in about 10 minutes.

The Kaju Masala looked a little different from the one at the other place, and was much less in quantity. The gravy was pretty tasty but apart from cashew, it was full of finely chopped capsicum pieces (I hate it when restaurants do that for I hate capsicum, and I had to pick them out before I hogged). The Naan was decent, but not the best.

There was nothing so special about the vegetable biryani, but it was decent nevertheless. It actually tasted yum with the gravy served along.

Overall a decent meal. Both the restaurants had different tastes, and had their own merits. The best part of Swathi is the pocket friendly prices. The taste too is pretty good, and so is the quantity. They might not be fine dine restaurants, but do give the take-away a try.

Food: 8/10
Ambience: N/A
Service: N/A
Meal for 2: Rs. 205/-

Verdict: 8/10

My Kitchen: Biryani and Gravy

I was really bored the other afternoon, and was too lazy to go hog outside. So decided to cook something for myself really fast, and decided to make simple Vegetable Biryani and some gravy to go along with it. So, here’s the simple recipe for a delicious meal.

Rice:
Ingredients Required
1 Onion (chopped or diced), diced vegetables (Potatoes, Carrots, etc.), 1/2 cup Basmati rice (soaked), Cumin seeds, Maggi Masala cube (if available), Garam Masala powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Chili powder, Salt, Ghee/Butter.

Procedure
In a pressure cooker, heat some ghee or butter and add some cumin seeds. Once the seeds pop, add the onions and fry them until golden brown. Add the vegetables and fry them for a couple of minutes. Next add all the masala and chilli powder, and mix well. Now add the soaked rice and add appropriate amount of water for the rice. Add salt and mix well. Close the cooker lid and let it simmer. Turn the flame off after two whistles. Once the cooker opens, garnish with some ghee or butter, and chopped coriander. Your Biryani is ready!! 😀

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
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Gravy:
Ingredients Required
1 Onion, a handful of peanuts and cashew nuts, Maggi Masala cube (if available), Garam Masala powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Chili powder, 1 spoon Curd, Salt, Oil/Butter.

Procedure
Put the onion, peanuts and cashew nuts in a mixer grinder and make a fine paste. Heat some ghee or butter in a pan and fry the cumin seeds. Next add the paste and let it cook for a while. Add all the masala, chilli powder and salt and simmer it for 10 more minutes. Finally add the curd and cook for another couple of minutes. Add some cooking colour if desired. Garnish with cashew nuts and coriander. Yummilicious gravy is ready 😀

Preparation Time: 1 minute
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Filmistaan | Movie Review

Filmistaan

So often, a movie with raving reviews disappoints you, probably because you walk in expecting too much. Thankfully, Filmistaan doesn’t.

Directed by Nitin Kakkar, this is a simple story of how we humans have created differences among ourselves because of a stupid line drawn by a Britisher, dividing us into India and Pakistan. It shows that we still share the same passion for things: cinema and cricket (they missed food), and a border cannot really divide us. Nitin was able to execute this message brilliantly, and was able to bring out the emotions from his actors to the best. He never complicates things, and I really liked the way he ended the movie. Apart from screenplay and direction, dialogues by Sharib Hashmi are a major asset; they are as filmy as possible, yet convey a lot.

Sharib Hashmi is brilliant not just with the dialogues, but also with his acting as the lead. He portrays such innocence and oozes out such charm that you can’t stop yourself from falling in love with his character. Inaamulhaq compliments Sharib in every sense and comes up with one of his best performances. Their acting in the climax is excellent. The rest of the cast, from the kidnappers to the village folk, everyone put up fine performances.

Music and background score by Arijit Datta is perfect, and editing by Sachindra Vats is crisp. Cinematography by Subhrasnsu Das is another major plus point. The arid sands of Rajasthan have been beautifully picturized. It’s sad that a such a brilliant film came into limelight two years after release, only after it won a National award.

Is it worth your time and money??: Absolutely! It conveys the message I believe in, that a border does not separate us Indians and Pakistanis, so gets a bonus yes. Go enjoy some brilliant performances by the cast, and enjoy the beauty of cinema.

Whether you’re in Hindustan or Pakistan, go watch Filmistaan!

Worth mention: The Maine Pyaar Kiya episode, film auditions, and the beautiful climax.

Acting: 9.5/10 Story-Screenplay-Direction: 9.5/10 Technical Aspects: 9/10

Verdict: 9.5/10

PS: I prayed for the survival of the lead pair during the climax. The only other film I’ve ever prayed for was Lagaan. Now that say’s a lot 🙂

Ulavacharu Biryani | Movie Review

Ulavacharu Biryani

A remake of a Malayalam blockbuster, Prakash Raj’s Ulavacharu Biryani is a feel good film. But, it could have been way better.

The story is pretty simple – two elderly, unmarried adults accidentally start talking to each other over phone and eventually fall for each other, but the problem arises when they decide to meet. The first half of the film is very witty, and the food background creates the right impact on the audience. However, it’s the latter half which is a huge disappointment. Instead of staying with the humorous thread, the script takes a u-turn and steps on sentiment. This really doesn’t work well and the effect created by the first half fades away slowly because of a bore dealing with self-confidence and self-pity. Instead, it would have been nice to see a quick-witted screenplay even in the second half, and create more humour while involving food. Direction by Prakash Raj is pretty good, and he shines as a director in parts. Screenplay could have been a little better, and the scenes involving the tribal men could have been avoided.

As an actor, its’ a cake walk for Prakash Raj. He is one of the most versatile actors with great screen presence and voice in Indian cinema today, and I hope he keeps up his good work while staying out of controversies. Sneha makes a very good comeback. She looks pretty, and Sunita’s dubbing is perfect for her. Newcomers Tejus and Samyuktha are alright. M.S. Narayana and Brahmaji have good roles and perform well, while Urvashi and Aishwarya shine in their brief appearances.

Music by maestro Ilaiyaraaja is a definite plus point of the film. However, the background score could have been better. Another major plus point of the film are its dialogues by Vallabha. Cinematography by Preetha and editing by Kishore are decent.

Is it worth your time and money??: Ulavacharu Biryani is a feel good film on the likes on Anand and Godavari. If you like these kind of movies, then this one is for you. Plus point are acting by Prakash Raj and Sneha, music, and entertaining dialogues. On the other hand, a laggy second half with unnecessary sentiment spoils the fun. Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable watch, and after Manam, a family entertainer.

Like the name, the film is an odd combination of fun (first half) and sentiment (second half)!

Worth mention: The entire first half with mouth-watering food was super fun.

Acting: 8/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 7/10

Edge Of Tomorrow | Movie Review

Edge Of Tomorrow

Given that the super hero movies are done for the season, I thought we might get a break with all the action. But Edge of Tomorrow turns out to be the biggest action movie of the year thus far.

Set in the near future where aliens have invaded earth, Major William Cage is put on the front on the front line against his will. He inadvertently kills an Alpha alien, which results him reliving a day from his past, repeating everything. Adapted from a Japanese novel All You Need Is Kill, the plot needed perfect execution, and director Doug Liman makes doesn’t disappoint. The first hour of the movie is brilliantly showcased, especially Cage reliving his past over and over again. Everytime he woke up, there was a buzz in the theater. The screenplay for this kind of film needs to absolutely perfect for it is wafer thin, and one wrong move jeopardizes the entire movie. However, Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth did a wonderful job, and made sure everything is perfectly connected without unnecessarily repeating scenes. The first few relives were amazingly picturized.

Tom Cruise is awesome as William Cage. He puts up great performance as an amateur soldier initially, and builds on confidence with every life. The mild humour her creates during the most critical scenes needs a special mention. Emily Cage is good as Rita Vrataski, but I thought she could have been more expressive. The movie almost entirely relies on Tom and Emily’s characters, and they don’t disappoint.

On technical front, music by Christophe Beck is alright. With a run-time of less than 2 hours, I thought the movie was perfectly edited by James Herbert and Laura Jennings. Cinematography by Dion Beebe is good while visual effects by Nick Davis are excellent. However, the 3D effects could have been better.

Is it worth your time and money??: Absolutely. It’s by far the best movie I’ve watched this year and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The perfect screenplay and acting by Tom Cruise are major plus points. The reason the film works (at least for me) is because the director was able to keep it simple though the script is quite complicated. It’s a movie not to be missed for any movie-holic.

Worth mention: Every time Tom Cruise wakes up. As already mentioned, these episodes have been brilliantly shot.

Acting: 9/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 9/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 9/10