RevRecipes-Part 1

Cherry Tomato Pesto and Tzatziki

After taking a super long break from blogging,I'm back!

I was watching Jamie Oliver's "15 minute meals" the other day and inspiration struck.

While my prep+cooking time took closer to 30 minutes(sadly I do not have super ninja knife skills), I am quite happy with the end result.

Ingredients: 

For the pesto:

• 1 pack of Cherry Tomatoes(around 18-20)
• 3 pods of garlic
• 10 Italian Basil leaves (I found a bunch for Rs.12 at Namdhari's Fresh)
• 2 cubes of Britannia Cheese/quarter cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 cube of Salted Butter/Olive Oil for a more liquid consistency
• Dash of Oregano 

For the Tzatziki (a.k.a "fancy raitha"):

• 1 cup Set Dahi/Plain Yoghurt
• 1 Cucumber
• Handful of Mint Leaves
• Juice of half a Lemon
• Quarter of a head of Purple Cabbage
• Pinch of salt

Method:

• In a pan, add the tomatoes,garlic and oregano and heat so as to "blister" the tomatoes,no oil required.

• While that is happening,grate the cucumber and chop up the mint leaves.Toss that into a bowl along with the curd,lime juice and salt.Mix well.

• Put the tzatziki in the fridge to cool.

• Empty the tomato,garlic,oregano mixture into the blender along with the basil,cheese and butter.

• Blend well and then slather onto warm toasted bread :D

• Use a cabbage leaf as a bowl for the Tzatziki and devour!

Final Product:

I'm not so great with the presentation part,I got too hungry :P

Hope you enjoyed my first recipe post. Do comment and let me know if you want to/do try it out.

Happy cooking! :)

Disclaimer: This is not the traditional pesto/tzatziki, its my version with locally sourced,pocket friendly ingredients.

A Twist in the tale- Oliver's

If you are looking for a techie in Bangalore, go to Whitefield,throw a stone and you are likely to have hit a very angry techie! :p
Olivers is the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle that is Whitefield.

The minute you walk in to the place you will love it, I assure you. The walls are covered with vibrant graffiti that instantly pep up your mood!(who needs coffee right?!?) A British theme runs all through the art work while the food is primarily American (intentional juxtaposition?). Oh well, as long as the food is good, I'm not complaining.

Guy Fawkes grafitti partially covered :( Interesting use of the cartwheel as a lamp.

Walkway to the cafe

We chose a table outdoors, placed our order,kicked off our shoes and eagerly waited for the food.

By the way, running your feet through grass is not only very therapeutic, it helped quiet my growling tummy!

Silverware so clean,I could see reflections of the over head trees. :)

We started off with a Caprese Salad, it had good quality mozzarella,the richness of which was perfectly balanced with the pesto and olive oil.The acidity from the tomato completed the perfect amalgamation of flavours in my mouth.

The Chicken Meatball Sandwich was average.The best part of the sandwich was the Italian bread which, I discovered is made from scratch in their kitchen.

My favourite part of the meal was the "Olivers Special Wingo".Perfectly barbecued chicken wings doused with the most delectable sauce that will put KFC's "finger lickin good" chicken to shame! Two thumbs up for the tartar sauce which has a hidden lemon flavour. :)

The Chef, Mr.Samson is very kind and attentive,making sure you are satisfied with your meal.Looks like wacky interiors are consistent with his restaurants as I learnt that he also used to run "Bonnie and Clyde" at Carlton Towers with his manager Mr.Venky. He tells me,they will be reopening soon. :)

Waffles are part of Oliver's all day breakfast menu and I could not resist ordering them for dessert. They were just the right amount of sweet with banana in the batter and covered in apple pulp.

More graffiti :)

I would definitely come back to try more of the breakfast menu! Can I pass off chicken wings as a good breakfast dish? LOL!

Olivers is located at:
2,Near Premier Inn,Graphite India Road,
Whitefield,Bangalore.

A "Cutting" Apart-Chaaye Stall

When buying real estate, its always "Location,Location,Location!"
The same applies to the USP of most eateries.
Chaaye Stall is conveniently located in the central shopping area of Bangalore.
If your feet hurt and your credit card is still warm from all the swiping, its best to sit and grab some great and inexpensive grub!

Started just a month ago by two friends Anup and Anuraj,this place has a very relaxing feel.
The decor is can be best described as "Indian Kitsch", choosing a table at this 2 floored establishment is a  fun task in itself!

Notice the tea pot used as a lamp hanging overhead!

Old-school milk cartons used as chairs and wooden cartons as tables.

Upstairs floor level seating and "Chai waala" wall mural.

The special of the day, "Rajasthani Mirchi Bajji" was well spiced and stuffed with potato.

P.S. Hungry people cannot wait for anything, even if its just one picture :p

Our cold coffee and iced tea.

My favourite there, "Golgappe Shooters" eat the golgappa and take a shot of the yummy tamarind and guava  liquid!

Though this was my first visit here,I cannot wait to go back and try more on their menu! 

Chaaye Stall is located at:
Ground Floor, Raheja Plaza,Near Lifestyle,
Richmond Road,Bangalore

Dessert Heaven- Berry'd Alive

Any place that has a witty name is automatically in my good books.  Berry’d Alive according to me is the best VFM (Value for money) dessert place in town. Any patisserie can serve up an overload of chocolate that will draw people in, Berry’d Alive’s best desserts are the non chocolate ones.

The decor is colourful ,quirky and very cheerful. The minute you walk in, you see a wall of post its with feedback from customers,so if you are confused on what to order,take a look there. Better yet, ask whoever is at the counter, I have spoken to all the 3 people who run the place and they are incredibly friendly and always give you the best recommendations!

The first time I visited Berry’d Alive, I ordered the Blackberry Cheesecake and a cup of 

Hazelnut flavoured coffee.

The cheesecake is rich, creamy and well balanced with some spices and is perfect for those who do not like overly sweet desserts.

Hazelnut Crème Pot is best described by a friend of mine as “Love on a plate”. It is made up of a nutty caramel cup filled with a thick chocolate ganache topped off with the lightest,most flavorful chocolate mousse.

Salted Caramel Mousse is perfect for when you are feeling indulgent. The perfectly balanced mousse comes in an edible chocolate cup (how awesome is that!) Kudos to you if you can gobble up the mousse and the cup.

If you have ever wished to be Nigella’s neighbour (face it, we all have at some point), the Lychee Pavlova is just for you! It is a light yet chewy concoction made of egg whites and sugar,topped off with oodles of cream and fresh lychees.

Deep fried chocolate goodness is all I can say to describe the Chocolate Wontons which also has a piece of banana wrapped inside. It is the perfect dessert on a cold day.

My least favourite dish here is the Strawberry Mango Verrine, this is just because I do not like lots of cream in anything! But if you are a fan of creamy desserts, go for it! Plus points for the combination of strawberry and mango since we generally find the strawberry and banana flavours clubbed together.

With all the eating out I do, a sore throat is a recurring problem.The Spiced Banana Sundae hits the spot (read-back of throat) at times like these. In the first bite it seems like a normal caramel and banana sundae, a few seconds into the second bite, the spice hits you in the back of your throat and feels absolutely wonderful! The cold and creamy vanilla ice cream along with the spices takes your taste buds on a roller coaster.

If you are in the mood for a classic chocolate end to your meal, get the Double Chocolate Brownie which is a warm brownie sandwich with chocolate mousse in the middle doused with chocolate sauce.

Blueberry Almond Crumble-the name pretty much describes the dish. Reminds me of a gudbud in someways, dig your spoon to the bottom and then pull up to get all the layers- cream,ice cream,blueberry and almond.

My absolute favourite at this place is the Kiwi and Lemon Nest.

Soft chewy meringue filled with actual kiwi fruit and lemon curd, topped off with a kiwi jelly(not sure if that’s what its called). This dish is the perfect balance of sweet and sour. If you have had a heavy meal and want a light dessert, THIS is it!

All the desserts here are within the range Rs.115-160, they accept credit cards and you can park your car/bike right outside.

Rev Recommends: Hazelnut Crème Pot, Kiwi and Lemon nest, Spiced Banana Sundae.

Berry'd Alive is located at: 1079, 12th Main Road, HAL II Stage, Indiranagar,Bangalore.

Hope you guys enjoyed my first food post! Do leave comments and let me know what you thought of it :)

Introductions

I suppose no new conversation can start without introductions!

Well here goes mine,

I'm Revathi Kolagani, a final year Computer Science and Engineering student currently living in Bangalore, India.

When I said conversation earlier, I meant it!

This blog is basically like me talking to a few of my friends and telling them about some awesomely good/awfully bad food I've had at places.

I often find myself answering phone calls from people without so much as a hello from them to start, its, "I'm in *insert random location in Bangalore* tell me a good place to eat around here"!

While there are several websites to facilitate you in this tedious choosing process while your stomach growls at you, I find, a recommendation about a particular dish at a place always helps more than a restaurant's description of itself.

No one would ever think to order Mexican food at a Sukh Sagar here, but I have had it several times and found it to be some of the best I've ever had, without burning a hole in my pocket. (Sadly they have removed that section of the menu now)

I am in no way going to be a contender for the Best Food Photography Blog on Saveur Magazine, most of my photos will be taken on my phone (HTC Wildfire S) and sometimes edited on Instagram (follow me @revaboutfood). Please feel free to email me (revaboutfood@gmail.com) for any queries you may have. I'm more than happy to recommend a restaurant to you based on your cravings. :)