indian cuisine – Jellybeans in the City

Novotel’s Prana Indian Cuisine hosts Taj Uncorked: An Indian Champagne Dinner

Indian food has long been celebrated for its creative use of healthy ingredients including aromatic spices, as well as its rich and diverse flavors.

However, there is one aspect of this exotic cuisine that is largely unexplored: how it pairs with western wines.

Well, Novotel Manila Araneta City’s Executive Chef Massimiliano Pauletto recently brought this extraordinary experience to selected guests with Taj Uncorked: An Indian Champagne Dinner held at the hotel’s restaurant, Prana Indian Cuisine.

Together with my husband (an avid lover of Indian food!), I was able to join this gastronomic exploration consisting of dishes especially crafted by Prana’s very own Indian Masterchef Rajan Veeranan and variants of Champagne Deutz Ram’s House of Wine.

Champagne does significantly add to the enjoyment of Indian cuisine, thanks to its versatility; its acidity and bubbly nature complements the complex flavors and contrasts with the rich and creamy textures of various Indian dishes. It also acting as a palate cleanser in between bites, allowing diners to fully savor and appreciate the nuances of every dish. Champagne’s fruity tones also harmonize well with the aromatic herbs and spices used in Indian cooking.

Chef Rajan’s multi-course dinner included these masterpieces:

Cocktails

Served at the restaurant’s anteroom with generous refills of Deutz Brut Classic, these whetted our appetites for the rest of Prana’s culinary creations yet to be unveiled.

Appetizer (Kshudaavardhak)

Panch Phoran Tandoori Jhinga. Succulent tandoori prawns, marinated in a blend of yogurt, five aromatic spices, and fragrant herbs and expertly cooked in a traditional clay oven, resulting in a delightful combination of smokiness and tenderness on a bed ofluscious broccoli cashew nut puree.

Afghani Murgh Kebab. Tender grilled chicken, meticulously cooked in a clay oven and served accompanied by a velvety blend of mashed chickpeas and a decadent mix of cream infused with cashew, pepper, melon, and poppy seeds.

Paired with Deutz Brut Classic.

Soup (Shoraba)

Murgh Makhanwala. Tandoori chicken bathed in a luxurious buttery gravy, enriched with cream and an array of aromatic spices and served in a velvety almond broth together with freshly made naan.

Paired with Amour de Deutz Brut Millesime 2011.

Main Course (Men Kors)

Lamb Nihari with Saffron Biryani Rice. Slow-cooked meat stew, delicately infused with a medley of aromatic spices and Indian-style durum whole wheat flour accompanied by fragrant saffron-infused biryani rice.

Paired with Amour de Deutz Brut Millesime 2011.

Dessert (Mithaee)

Sweet endings to a wonderful meal which includes a White Chocolate Gelato garnished with saffron and cardamon and Petit Fours consisting of filled white chocolate dome and French Macarons and Italian-style Dark Chocolate Cookie.

Ready to explore the bold flavors and textures of Indian cuisine? Be sure to drop by Prana Indian Cuisine located at the Ground Floor of Novotel Manila Araneta City, General Aguinaldo Avenue, Araneta City, Quezon City. For inquiries, call +63 2 89907888 or email H7090@accor.com.

Know more about the hotel and its restaurants by visiting its website or following Novotel Manila Araneta City on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Novotel Manila Araneta City:

5 reasons why Novotel is your family’s staycation destination

Four reasons to gather and celebrate at Food Exchange Manila, Novotel Manila Araneta

Ice cream indulgence at Indulge, Novotel Manila Araneta

Weekly Italian gastronomic treats from Novotel’s “secret ingredient”: Chef Massi Pauletto

From Samosas to Lassis: A Culinary Journey at Swaadisht Manila, Uptown Mall BGC

Swaadisht is a Hindi word that means “delicious” or “tasty.” The term is often used to describe the flavors and spices of Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine is known for its wide range of flavors, aromas, and textures, and is heavily influenced by regional variations, religious and cultural practices, and historical events. Swaadisht is an important aspect of Indian cuisine, and is a reflection of the country’s diverse culinary traditions.

India has a rich culinary history that dates back thousands of years. The country’s cuisine has been shaped by a variety of factors, including religion, culture, geography, and climate. The cuisine of each region of India is unique, and features a diverse range of ingredients and flavors. Some of the most popular ingredients in Indian cuisine include rice, lentils, vegetables, spices, and herbs.

If you want to explore the flavorsome possibilities of swaadisht, then head on to the Indian restaurant aptly named Swaadisht Manila and feast on these must-try dishes:

Vegetable Samosa (Php207). These crispy and savory triangular-shaped pastries are filled with a delicious mixture of spiced potatoes, peas, and onions. Served with tamarind and mint chutneys, they make for a perfect appetizer or snack.

Paneer Lababdar (Php537). A vegetarian delight, paneer lababdar is a popular Indian dish made with cottage cheese cooked in a rich and creamy tomato-based gravy. Served with plain naan or rice, this dish is sure to satisfy your cravings for comfort food.

Plain Naan (Php163). A staple in Indian cuisine, naan is a type of flatbread that is cooked in a tandoor oven. At Swaadisht Manila, you can enjoy freshly baked naan that is soft, fluffy, and perfectly complements any dish.

Chicken Biryani (Php581). A fragrant and flavorful rice dish made with long-grain basmati rice, succulent chicken, and a blend of aromatic spices, this dish is a perfect example of the rich and diverse flavors of Indian cuisine.

Mango Lassi (Php196). This sweet and refreshing drink is made with ripe mangoes, yogurt, and a touch of sugar. It’s a perfect beverage to cool down your palate after enjoying some spicy Indian cuisine.

Swaadisht Manila serves authentic Indian cuisine, known for its rich blend of spices and unique flavors, that is sure to tantalize your taste buds, taking you on a gastronomic journey to the diverse culinary traditions of India from classic vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, biryanis, tandoori items, and bread to unique appetizers and desserts. The restaurant takes pride in using fresh and high-quality ingredients to ensure that every dish is flavorful, healthy, and delicious.

This Swaadisht Manila branch is located at Third Floor, Uptown Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, open daily for dine-in, takeout and delivery from 11am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 79431373 or +63 926 6529598.

Another branch is located at Citywalk 1, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City (Tel: +63 2 85184405 or +63 995 5552485).

Stay updated on its menu and offers by following Swaadisht Manila on Facebook and Instagram.

Zee Sine brings the best of Bollywood to SKY

Did you know that Bollywood is actually the world’s largest film industry in terms of number of feature films produced?

Bollywood is the more commonly applied term to the Indian Hindi-language film industry. It is also one of the largest centers of film production in the world, with an annual output of 1,986 films in 2017. It also outstrips Hollywood in ticket sales with a reported 3.6 billion tickets sold worldwide in 2001 compared to Hollywood’s 2.6 billion tickets sold.

This industry has produced many onscreen luminaries over the years, with a lot of its current top stars also becoming globally recognized actors and actresses. These include Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Hritik Roshan, Kareen Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and even former beauty queens Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai.

Today, Filipinos can view many of their outstanding feature films dubbed in Tagalog on Zee Sine.

Developed with the tastes and likes of the Filipino audience in mind, Zee Sine has a wide range of content – from drama, comedy, romance, action, thriller and musical – all carefully selected based on stories relatable to the Pinoy audience.

In Zee Sine, the localization process goes as far as creating movie themes such as Unli Tawa Monday for comedies, Hari ng Aksyon Thursday for action flicks, Kilig Monday for romances, Pinoy Bollywood Box Office for blockbusters, Star of the Month which focuses on a key Bollywood actor and Bollywood Divas which give tribute to the gorgeous ladies in the industry.

Zee Sine viewers can also expect three original movies and three original drama series that feature the latest love teams from India on weekdays. On weekends, they can look forward to five original movies, three movie premieres every month.

In a recent media launch event held at Restaurant 9501, representatives of local press as well as lifestyle and entertainment bloggers got a sneak peek of the myriad of movie choices that Zee Sine has to offer.

The attendees were also treated to the bold flavors of Indian dishes prepared by 9501’s Chef Richard Aranas especially for this occasion which included Hummus di Tahini with Chapatti bread, Vegetable Samosas, Aloo Gobi (Potatoes and Cauliflower sauteed in spices), Chicken Tandoori, Beef Vindaloo and the coconut rice pudding dessert Kheer.

According to Harish Goyal, CEO of Zee International Asia Pacific and Africa, Pinoys share the love of color and music in cinema with their Indian counterparts. They can catch these and more in Bollywood movies which feature musical numbers every thirty minutes.

Liza Ginting, country head of Zee Entertainment in the Philippines, cited the similarities of Hindi and Pinoy cultures, such as the supremacy of the mother in the household, which will anchor the appeal of Bollywood movies to local audiences.

SKY’s integrated marketing head Gidgette Faustino, on the other hand, lauds the Pinoy’s openness to global content and sense of adventure when it comes to foreign shows. These will drive SKY to continue bringing more shows and content through its pay TV and broadband platforms.

Zee Sine is part of Zee Entertainment which is available in 173 countries worldwide and entertains over 1.3 billion viewers everyday. Today, Zee Entertainment has three channels targeted towards local audiences in Southeast Asia and ten in other countries across the globe.

To enjoy the Bollywood movies and series on Zee Sine, SKYcable subscribers can add the channel to their lineup via SKYcable Select for only Php20 per month. SKYcable Select allows subscribers to add channel individually or in packs to their basic cable subscription for a customized TV viewing experience.

Zee Sine may be viewed on SKYcable channel 112 in Metro Manila and channel 424 in Cebu, Davao, Bacolod and Iloilo.

For more details on Zee Sine and other SKY products and services, visit mysky.com.ph or visit your nearest SKYzone.

Channel details provided by SKY and Zee Sine in a press release.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.