Restaurant Review- Filmy Cafe and Bar

Weekend in other words means exploring new places to eat and spend fun time with family and friends. This weekend was no different, and I got a chance to visit this newly opened cafe and bar called the "Filmy Cafe & Bar by Deez".
Deez Biryani has been a synonym for best biryani for almost all Delhi Walas and I am no exception, so when I came to know about this new venture of theirs I got all excited.
Filmy cafe & bar is a cosy place tucked away in one of the most prime locations in Delhi, i.e. Connaught Place and further more, it is very prominently located in the PVR plaza building and makes it an ideal place to indulge in food after a movie at PVR. Anyway, movie, or no movie, it surely calls for a visit if you are a film buff. The entire place has a very thematic ambience with posters and dialogues of famous films adorning the walls. The seating is very comfortable and we see filmy cushions thrown away on couches adding more to the theme.
The music at the place, is a great mix of bollywood and hollywood numbers and keeps you in an upbeat mood.

Crispy Chilly Corn with Mushrooms

If I have to describe this recipe in two words- Simple and Amazing. And yes these two words perfectly describe this recipe, because its really simple to make and amazing to taste.

So lets get started..

Restaurant Review: Guppy by ai

How do you feel, when you visit an unknown place, for a cuisine you haven't tasted before, and you are completely unaware of whats in store..?? You either come home disappointed or you come home pleasantly surprised.

This Sunday, went by for me in a similar manner. We went for Guppy by ai, and I have to admit that I was completely unprepared in terms of what was I expecting. I had just no expectations, I had never tasted Japanese Cuisine before and didn't know what it would be really like, would be spicy, would it be mild, what kind of appetisers, what soups, what main course.. I just had no idea.

But yes, I was very pleasantly surprised indeed. The moment I stepped in, I was in awe of the place, the ambience itself is so overpowering, that one automatically starts to get curious on how the food would be.

Restaurant Review- Cress Bistro

At the on set, I have to mention that this place is for those, who crave difference. If you want to experiment with your taste buds, don’t think twice, straight away head to Cress Bistro.

Masala Egg Muffins

A very very simple and interesting way to satiate your mid time hunger cravings...

Chilly Chicken Dry

This one is a sure shot hit at my place, Its my son's favourite and almost an every weekend affair.

Riot of Flavors

This cake is a true delight for the ones who want not just one but three flavours in a single cake..simply delightful...

Chocolate Chip Mousse Bites

Ohh.. this is one of the best ways I use my leftover whipped cream and chocolate ganache( Sometimes, you just whip a little extra, and make some extra ganache too) or there are times when I need to purposely make these..as my son is just too fond of them.. they simply get vanished in a matter of few minutes.. I am sure you all will enjoy making and eating them as much as I do..and its really simple and easy to make..

Ingredients:
200ml whipping cream
200 ml chocolate ganache
1 table spoon gelatin
2 tea spoons cold water
2 tea spoons hot water
a few chocolate chips, both dark and white
Cookie cutters

Blackcurrant Swiss Roll

As compared to the common myth, swiss rolls are actually quite simple to make, and I bet you will enjoy the process and be very glad with the outcome, I remember when I made it for the first time and it turned out super cool, it seemed like an achievement, and left me exhilarated..so lets get started..

Ingredients:

4 eggs

125 gms castor sugar and a couple of spoons more for dusting on the surface

2 tablespoons warm water

125 gms refined flour

2 drops of purple food colouring

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Cake with a Blackcurrant Twist...

Ingredients for the cake:

15 heaped spoons flour

2/3 cup oil

1 1/3 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

1 spoon baking powder

A pinch of baking soda

1/2 cup milk

3 spoons curd

1 spoon vanilla essence

Chocolate Or Nothing- A simple pure chocolaty delight

Blueberry Cake Bites

Well Well... this is an amazingly simple recipe and great to taste..for this recipe, you may bake a fresh vanilla cake or use a left over cake (which sometimes turn a little dry), I have used a left over cake, which did have a whipped cream icing on it.

Chocolate Truffle Cake-Ice Cream Cone Upside Down Design

This cake is a real fun to make, though the pictures posted here are not of the most perfect one that I made, because this was made in a little rush when my little one just wanted to have it then...Nevertheless do try it out, with or without the cone, its equally interesting..

Fresh Pineapple Cake

Well.. when I bake pineapple cake, I like using fresh pineapple in stead of the canned ones available in the market, though they may be softer and sweeter, but I like my pineapples in the natural way..the sweet and tangy taste of it..gives a fresh and refreshing feel to the cake.. you may opt for the canned ones if you like so.

Goan Surmai Fish Fry

What a moment it is when the appetizing aroma of Goan Fish Fry mesmerizes my taste buds.
It takes me back in time, when as a kid I learnt how to savor fish fry without being poked by its bones. And yes, the only competition if I ever faced was that of my pet; Tom cat.. 

So, here's the recipe which has been my all time favorite and Tom's too... and I'd love to lend it for you all to cook and relish it.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Centre Filling( Butterscotch , Kiwi and Strawberry) Topped with Whipped Cream

Ingredients for the Cup Cakes:

1 1/3 cups flour

1 1/2 cup castor sugar

1/4 cup oil

3 table spoons curd

1 spoon baking powder

a pinch of baking soda

1 spoon vanilla essence

2 eggs

2-3 drops of green food colour

Directions
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda.Set aside.In a large bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar until its light and fluffy. Add the oil,  and then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with curd and beat well. Add drops of food colour and give the mixture a stir. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.


Ingredients for the Filling
3 table spoons butterscotch sauce
3 table spoons strawberry crush
3 table spoons kiwi crush
  
Ingredients for the Frosting
125 Ml Whipping Cream
100 Gms Icing Sugar
2-3 drops yellow food colour
Coloured Sprinklers for Garnishing


Directions
Take the whipping cream in a bowl and using an electric mixer, whip till soft peaks are formed. Add icing sugar and whip agan till firm peaks are formed. Add colour and mix very gently, for a light lemon yellow colour.
Now scoop out a little cake from the centre of your cupcakes using a cookie cutter, but be careful to not reach the bottom of the cake. Now take your fillings and fill the scooped out portion, 4-5 cupcakes each with butterscotch and strawberry fillings respectively. Now fill up your piping bag with shipped cream and make swirls of icing on top of the cupcakes covering the filling portion as well.
Use sprinklers to garnish and decorate the cupcakes.. and ta daahhh.. yummy cupcakes and ready for savouring..

Pancakes with Chicken and Vegetables Filling... A Long Forgotten Recipe...!!

This recipe has been my all time favourite, but I almost forgot to make it since a long time. I was just flipping through old photographs and suddenly saw this in one of the pictures.. right there on my plate.. it seemed as if the pancakes were asking me desperately to make them again and relish.. and I could not wait any longer.. it was the dinner menu along with some chicken pasta in red sauce( separate recipe).

So here we go...

Shredded Chicken in Hot Garlic Sauce with Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients for Shredded Chicken in Hot Garlic Sauce:
250gm boneless chicken shredded into thin strips
1 table spoon ginger garlic paste
2 cloves garlics chopped
1 table spoon chilly sauce
1 table spoon soya sauce
1 table spoon vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 onion cut into rings
1/2 capsicum shredded into strips
1/2 teaspoon ajino moto
1 glass water
2-3 table spoons corn flour
2 table spoon refined oil
salt to taste

For frying the chicken:
2-3 table spoons all purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
a pinch of ajino moto
water for mixing
Oil for frying

Directions:
Take the all purpose flour in a bowl, and add rest of the ingredients, adding water, make a mixture of coating consistency. Dip chicken strips in this batter, and deep fry until golden brown in colour. Keep them aside.

Now in a separate wok, take oil, and add chopped garlic, saute it for sometime, then add ginger garlic paste, saute it a little more. Then add the onion rings and honey, and saute till onions turn little brownish in colour.
Now add the red chilly sauce, soya sauce and vinegar to the onions and garlic. Add water and let it boil for sometime. Now mix the court flour with a little water to make a paste, and add to the boiling water to thicken the gravy. Add the fried chicken, and capsicum. Now season it with ajino moto and salt and let it simmer for a couple of more minutes.
And a very quick and easy chicken in hot garlic sauce is ready.

Ingredients for the fried rice:
2 cups basmati rice cooked
1/2 medium sized cabbage shredded
1/2 capcicum shredded
1 scrambled egg
a little boiled chicken shredded
Oil 1 table spoons

Directions:
In a wok, add about 1 table spoon oil, and on a high flame saute the cabbage, capsicum and chicken for a couple of minutes. Add some salt and keep aside.
Toss these vegetables and chicken and scrambled egg into the rice gently and here you go.. yet again a simple and delicious fried rice to go along with your chicken are ready..!!

Cake Pops

Ingredients :
6 vanilla cupcakes( I used left over cupcakes, which feel a little dry after a couple of days, or you may refer to vanilla cupcakes recipe in older posts)
3 table spoons of strawberry crush
200 gms milk chocolate
100 gms desiccated coconut( grated)

Directions :
Crush the vanilla cupcakes with hands, and then put them in a mixer to get a fine blend. Add the strawberry crush and knead a little with your hands. Make a roll and keep aside for sometime or put in the fridge for 10 minutes to let it firm up a bit.
Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or microwave for a minute.
Make small round balls of the cake mix, and again refrigerate them for 5 minutes.
Insert a toothpick in these cake pops and dip them in the melted chocolate, then roll these pops in grated coconut and let them set in the refrigerator, and voila..you await yourself a yummy sweet surprise..!!

Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Ice-cream topped with Black Currant Crush and Raisins

Ingredients for the cake:

12 heaped spoons flour
60 gms salted butter
1 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
1 spoon baking powder
A pinch of baking soda
3 spoons curd
1 spoon vanilla essence

Directions
Sieve together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, add sugar and butter and mix them well. Now add the dry ingredients to this wet mixture, put curd and vanilla essence, mix nicely. Add the eggs one by one to the mixture. Grease the cake tin and pour the mixture into it. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 170 degrees C or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
After the cake is done, let it cool for sometime, then remove and let it completely cool on a wire rack.

Other Ingredients 

3 tablespoons black currant crush

2 scoops vanilla ice-cream

handful of raisins

some coloured beads(edible)

Plating

Cut a slice of cake, put 2 scoops of vanilla ice-cream, with just a bit of it drooling on the top of the cake. Now take the black currant crush and drop dollops of it over the cake and the ice-cream. Sprinkle the raisins and some coloured beads and a finger licking good dessert is ready to serve.

Fish Shaped Cake with Strawberry Filling

Ingredients for the cake:
12 heaped spoons flour
1/2 cup oil
1 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
1 spoon baking powder
A pinch of baking soda
3 spoons curd
1 spoon vanilla essence

Directions
Sieve together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, add sugar and eggs and beat them lightly. Add oil to this mixture. Now add the dry ingredients to this wet mixture, put curd and vanilla essence, mix nicely. Grease the cake tin and pour the mixture into it. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 170 degrees C or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
After the cake is done, let it cool for sometime, then remove and let it completely cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the Icing:
1 1/2 cup whipped cream
1/2 cup strawberry crush
100 gms icing sugar
2-3 drops of blue gel colour
1 drop red gel colour

Directions
In a large bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks are formed. Add icing sugar and whip some more. Add 2 drops of blue gel colour Use the cream to do the base coating of the cake, for piping bag add another drop of colour in the raining cream to give it a little darker shade.

Arranging
Transfer the cooled cake to a turn table, cut a triangular piece to be used as a tail of the fish, and giving the cut a look of open fish mouth. Then cut the cake pieces in half from the centre. Moist the cake by sprinkling some water on it. Gently spread the strawberry crush over it and then spread the blue coloured whipped cream icing Cover the cake with the top piece and repeat the process. To decorate the cake fill in the piping bag with whipping cream of a slightly darker shade of blue and make wave patters on the fish cake. Position the tail piece carefully and place it next to the main cake. For the open mouth, take some red colour in your hand and softly dab it on the cream, to give it a red mouth feel. Sprinkle some coloured balls and its good to go.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Blackcurrant Icing

Ingredients for the Cup Cakes:

1 1/3 cups flour

1 1/2 cup castor sugar

1/4 cup oil

3 table spoons curd

1 spoon baking powder

a pinch of baking soda

1 spoon vanilla essence

2 eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar until its light and fluffy. Add the oil,  and then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with curd and beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  
Ingredients for the Frosting
125 Ml Whipping Cream
100 Gms Icing Sugar
75 Ml Blackcurrant Crush


Directions
Take the whipping cream in a bowl and using an electric mixer, whip till soft peaks are formed. Add icing sugar and whip agan till firm peaks are formed. Fold in the blackcurrant lightly. Fill in the piping bag with the nozzle of your choice and frost the cupcakes. Decorate with a drop of blackcurrant crush on the top and some coloured stars.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Kiwi Cream Icing

Ingredients for the Cup Cakes:

1 1/3 cups flour

1 1/2 cup castor sugar

1/4 cup oil

3 table spoons curd

1 spoon baking powder

a pinch of baking soda

1 spoon vanilla essence

2 eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda.
Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar until its light and fluffy. Add the oil,  and then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with curd and beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  
Ingredients for the Frosting
125 Ml Whipping Cream
100 Gms Icing Sugar
75 Ml Kiwi Crush


Directions
Take the whipping cream in a bowl and using an electric mixer, whip till soft peaks are formed. Add icing sugar and whip agan till firm peaks are formed. Fold in the kiwi crush lightly. Fill in the piping bag with the nozzle of your choice and frost the cupcakes. Decorate with a drop of kiwi crush on the top and some coloured stars.

Devil's Chocolate Truffle Cake

A simply delicious and finger looking good cake especially for chocolate lovers, its filled with caramel crunch and topped with chocolate ganache and white chocolate dribble. You just cannot ignore it..!!


Ingredients:


10 heaped spoons flour

1/2 cup oil

1 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

1 spoon baking powder

a pinch of baking soda

3 table spoons milk

3 table spoons cocoa powder


1 spoon vanilla essence


Directions:

·      Sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.

·      In another bowl, add sugar and eggs and beat them till pale in colour and fluffy.

·      Add oil to this mixture followed by vanilla essence, beat a little more.

·      Now gently fold in the flour and cocoa cake mix in this batter.

·      Line a 10 inch cake tin with baking sheet and pour the mixture into it, spread it out evenly using a spatula and then tap it against the stand to release any air bubbles.

·      Bake for 30-35 minutes at 170 degrees C or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

·      After the cake is done, let it cool for sometime, then remove and let it completely cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients for filling:


Sugar 75 gms


Directions:

·      Add sugar in a pan, and on a medium heat melt to caramelize it.

·      Remove it from heat when the sugar is all melted and you see a dark brown colour, but more not to burn the sugar.


·      Take a piece of foil paper or parchment sheet, grease it and pour the caramelized sugar over it.

·      Let it cool to harden.

·      Once the sugar is hardened, remove it from the foil paper, fold it in a newspaper and press it hard with a rolling pin to crush it in small pieces. It should be coarsely grinder with small chunks of caramel( not too fine and not too big either)


Ingredients for icing:

200ml fresh cream


200 gms dark chocolate

50 gms white chocolate


3 table spoons strawberry crush

Some raisins

Directions:

•  Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the dark chocolate. 

•  In a pan, take 200 ml fresh cream and bring it to a boil. 

•  Add this cream in the melted chocolate and keep folding till it becomes a thick dropping consistency mixture. 

•  Let it cool a bit.

Arranging:

·      Transfer the cooled cake to a turntable and cut in two equal parts from the centre.

·      Moist the cake with sprinkling some water on it. 

·      Now spread the strawberries crush on the bottom half of the cake, then generously spread dark chocolate ganache on it and sprinkle raisins and the crushed caramelized sugar all over it. 

·      Keep the top layer on cake and moist it once again with water, now cover the layer generously with chocolate ganache covering the sides as well. 

·      Melt the white chocolate and dribble all over the cake...feel free to garnish with some chocolate sprinklers..