For healthy life and preventing mosquito bite…Here is what I do!!

Ok, so Jungle Forumla requested my views about their product and their #FightAgainstMosquitoes. Here is what I think.

As a homemaker and a working professional, I feel it is necessary to keep updating yourself on health related information. Healthy living has become important in today’s time. With pollution, adulteration in food items and drinks, it has become difficult to survive a world of good health.

As a foodie, I know the value of living a healthy life. Interesingly, a few days ago, an article published in the newspaper caught my attention. “Dengue death toll shoots up” – This gave me a sudden panic attack.

A few months ago, a far off relative had fallen sick of malaria and very recently, an office colleague was heard to be diagnosed with chikungnya.  Indeed, we are living in a world where an insect bite can be the cause of someone’s death.

My husband and I are both working professionals. We keep traveling for work related purposes. During the time of the monsoon, one has to take special precaution against the rising attack of harmful mosquitoes.

My mother suggested me to use Jungle Forumla. I had heard the name for the first time, but it was a very popular insect repellent in the South. I read the details of the repellent spray carefully before applying it. The insect repellent factor indicated that it gives upto 8 hours of protection from mosquitoes and it is suitable for adults as well as children who are above 3 years of age.

People often complain to me that I become too obsessed with living an organized life. So much so, that one night my husband got scared when I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and started spreading the insect repellent on him. We still laugh about the incident because he thought that I was some ghost and started to freak out, but on a serious note, it is important that we spread our awareness of healthy lifestyle.

Time and again, I have heard stories of people losing their lives because of unhealthy lifestyle and lack of proper prevention mechanism. Afterall, without health supporting me, I can never imagine to feel anything good about life.  Life has taught me a few lessons that I must take a notice of. Each and every death story reveals what kind of life should we live.

Death caused by the harmful bite of insects is very sad. We must #FightAgainstMosquitoes. You may never know that an insect can cause the harmful injury to your life from any possible source. 

You may be put up in a clean atmosphere, but if the windows are open, the insects can come and attack you. External environment can also be the cause of such diseases. 

Therefore, it is best suggested that take your time off and shop for healthy products.

PS: Talking of the popularity, here is something I must share :-D. Good luck team @jungle_formula

Terrific Troika

Recently got invited to Troika in Indiranagar on the 100 feet road for a cocktail making workshop by Rohan Carvalho of Bar Square India. Currently bar tending is still emerging as a profession and hence the need for an institute that could impart, knowledge to all those who decide to walk this road. Established due to their passion for bartending, flairing and training, Bar Square evolved. It is the brain child of two of Indias finest bartending champions: Rohan Carvalho (Ambassador of WFA: World Flair Association) & Shawn D’souza (1st Indian representative for BMGP in Italy). With numerous certifications, awards, fantastic reference, knowhow and international experience supporting them, Bar–Square is a well recognised institute to impart knowledge in the bartending space.

I tried my hand at making one of the signature cocktails too. The one I chose was the Caipiroska which provided for a refreshingly cool and scintillatingly heady sensation. Wondering about the ingredients? Here they are - 

• 45 ml vodka
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3-4 mint leaves
• 5-6 lemon chunks

Wondering about the method to create the perfect Caipiroska? Here it is:

• Put lemon chunks, mint leaves and brown sugar in a glass and muddle them well. 
• Fill the glass with crushed ice
• Pour vodka on top.
• Yes, it's that simple! 
• Use old fashioned glass for serving
• Garnish it with sprigs of mint!

Rohan Carvalho of Bar Square was very jovial, friendly and approachable. He ensured we enjoyed making the cocktails with basic ingredients which are available everywhere. The confidence which this event instilled in me made sure that a teetotaller like me could also make perfect cocktails! 

There was more to the evening as we also explored the culinary delights of Troika. Troika houses the perfect blend of spirits, food and an open sky! We indulged in our senses in their extensive array of beverages and an exquisite spread of global cuisines ranging from Coastal to Oriental to Mediterranean, along with a live interactive Kitchen. 

Some of my favorites were Chicken Fa Fa, Za'tar chicken, Chicken Espetada in Starters and Tai Chi Chicken, Chicken Pan Fried Noodles and Malabar Prawn Curry among main course. In desserts, my favorite was Banoffee Pie which is short crust pastry filled with caramelized bananas in condensed milk, topped with sweet cream! It is recipe from England and was perfectly wonderful here too! 

Troika is definitely a must visit to experience the high life in Bangalore in luxury and style! 

For Reservations:

Phone: 080 61344890

Address: Above Zaica, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore (Next to Starbucks)

From Lebanon in Mediterranean to Bangalore in India

I had always been fascinated by Lebanese Cuisine. Do you know much about Lebanon? If not, read on.. Lebanon is an exotic country located on the Eastern Coast of the Mediterranean. Like India, the culture of Lebanon is infused with cultures from various empires. From the Ottoman Empire to the French Empire, the taste of Lebanon has been widely influenced. From the Ottoman Empire, the Lebanese menu changed to include olive oil, fresh bread and Baklava, a famous dessert. From the French empire, they included many of their famous patisseries.

I was fascinated by the decor in the hotel which had a Lebanese feel to it. The ambiance was fantastic and perfect for a chilled out evening. The staff were very friendly and co-operative and made our family feel welcome there. It was great to know that at 12th Main restaurant in Grand Mercure Bangalore hotel, the Mezze (Menu) included exotic salads like tabbouleh and fattoush with the famous hummus dip.  The main dishes included stews or Yakhnehs which can be enjoyed by everyone within the family. One of my favorites was the grilled Prawns as you can see from the picture below.. 

Starters included Arnabit Makhali(Fried Cauliflower), Mucver (Zucchini fritters) for vegetarians and Lamb Kibbeh(Mutton Kebabs) and Sheesh Touk (Tender chicken pieces with tri peppers marinated in  Lebanese spices) for non-vegetarians. My personal favorite though was Chicken shawerma from live counter. Shawema, as you know, is a Levantine meat preparation, where lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, or mixed meats are placed on a spit (commonly a vertical spit in restaurants), and may be grilled for as long as a day. Shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving, and the remainder of the block of meat is kept heated on the rotating spit. 

The salads included Fattoush (Fattoush is a Levantine bread salad made from toasted or fried pieces of pita bread combined with mixed greens and other vegetables), Tabbouleh Salad(Chopped Parsley, Tomatoes and Burgul Wheat and herb salad), Hummus(Chickpeas, garlic, tahini and olive oil) and Babaganoush(Cooked eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and various seasonings). My personal favorite was Babaganoush. 

In main course, one of my favorites was Koosa charp or the Stuffed Zucchini as you can see in the picture below. Other mains included Dijaj m'quali (Moroccan style chicken), Batenjen ablama(stuffed eggplant with lamb), Samak hara (Lebanese Chili Fish) for non-vegetarians and Batata hara (spicy potatoes), Bamia bil zayt (Okra stew with tomatoes and garlic) and Makhloota (Lebanese stew of mixed beans) for vegetarians. The taste was unique as Executive Chef David ensured the authenticity of the Lebanese food was maintained. 

Desserts included Baklava ( Phyllo dough stacked with honey and nuts), Maamoul bil joze(Semolina tart filled with walnuts), Riz bil haleeb(Lebanese rice pudding), Knafi ( Sweet Cheese Pastry) and Moulahbia(Milk Pudding). 

One more interesting thing I learnt about Lebanese cuisine and culture is as follows. The Lebanese people have also thought of a way to eat without the use of cutlery like Indians. Their staple diet includes their famous flat bread which can be stuffed with a variety of side dishes and enjoyed. Just like Indian Cuisine which is best enjoyed by eating with hands, The Lebanese food can similarly be enjoyed. 

Price : Rs.999 + Taxes

Beverage :  Traditional Lebanese liqueur Arak and wine

Timing : 7.00 – 11.00 pm

Venue : 12^th Main Restaurant

Date : August 1^st to August 10th

Grand Mercure Bangalore, 12^th Main, 3rd Block, Koramangala, Bangalore- 560034

Contact for reservations-91-80-4512 1212

United Sports Bar & Grill - A perfect place to unwind

Me and my husband (Dhempe) visited the new sports bar in town the other day -"The United Sports Bar & Grill" along with other friends. It being the World Cup football season, the place was packed though it was a weekday. This place is located at the Phenoix Market City, Mahadevapura, Whitefield, Bangalore.

The ambience of the bar was sporty and apropos with the title of the place. A huge screen to display the matches and many sports items were used as decor for the interiors.

                             

                       

    

Chef Vijay Pradhan, the corporate chef of the bar, gave us word that we would have the best of the food and drinks.

                                        My friend Nivedith with Chef Pradhan 

We were offered some refreshing coolers and moijtos to start with.  Schezwaan Paneer bites were served first.They are made with paneer and were crispy; tossed with Schezwaan sauce, onion and pepper. They were amazing - I haven't tasted anything of that kind in recent times.

                      

      

And in the non vegetarian fare, my favourite prawns were served in a different way. Definetly Fire Cracker Prawns were the show stopper among all the appetisers served.  The taste was an absolute delight. It was smokey beneath the plate with prawns wrapped in wonton sheet and marinated with chili paste.

                       

And coming to the main part of the meal - the main course. Thai red curry and green curry were served along with rice which made me remember my tour of Pattaya and Bangkok. Both the preparations were authentic and flavoursome.

                  

                          

                           

   

The exciting part of my meal was the dessert. I feel that no meal is complete without a dessert. Chocolate Volcano; soaked chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream was served and it was a doozie.

              

                          

                         

   

Overall a sporty experience with good food and fun. A perfect spot to unwind one self! 

My rating is 4/5

Phone: +91 8045133495. Reservation recommended. 

Address :

The United Sports Bar & Grill , Phenoix Market City, Whitefield, Bangalore.

Matsuri...... A festival of food

Matsuri is a Japanese word for a festival or holiday.  Matsuri Restaurant at The Chanceory Hotel, Lavelle Road precisely goes with the name as it is a festival of Japanese Cusine.  I was invited by them  to taste their food. The interiors were in sync with the Japanese culture.

               

                              

We started over with some beverages and they were quite tasty and promising that the is more fun with food ahead.

                          

                            

As Joe Moore said  "Appetizers are the little things you keep eating until you lose your appetite" and we were appeasing our thirst. 

                              

Yakitori momo tare, (choice of skewed chicken with sweetened soya sauce), Ten Don ( rice tossed with tempura prawns and vegetables served with tempura sauce, grilled fish with sweetened soya sauce and chicken wings were among the starters served.

The other starters we got to taste were grilled squid rings, Ebi no Tempura ( batter fried prawns), Dashi Maki Tomago (sliced Mirin sweetened roll omelette); they were quite variant.

                             

     

And for the vegetarians there were not many choices. The one which I liked the most was Kappa Maki ( rolled cucumber sushi)

                           

                            

And in the main course we had customised food prepared by the chef for us. Vegetable Noodles, chicken noodles and vegetable garlic fried rice were served to us; the flavour was definitely unique.

                     

                            

    A food voyage worth a visit.

My rating is 4/5

Address : The Chancery Hotel, Lavelle Road, Bangalore 

Ph no 080 41188888, 080 22276767

Timings :12 noon to 3 PM and 6 PM TO 11.00 PM

Head over heels for Espetada

South African casual dining restaurant chain Nando's specializes in flame grilled Peri-Peri Chicken. Peri Peri is a hot and fiery sauce from the Afro-Portuguese cuisine. It is made from Piri Piri, a type of bird’s eye chili from Africa. 

                          

Nando’s sells chicken livers, Espetada (a large stand with a skewer of chicken thighs and grilled peppers) and Cataplana (a chicken and rice dish served in a traditional Portuguese copper dish).

                         

Nando's Espetada Carnival adventure was an international campaign launch and Father's Day celebrations were roped in as a part of the Espetada Carnival itself as it fell during the campaign time.       

            

Espetada carnival meal is Flame grilled peri peri chicken thighs stuffed with garlic, parsley and feta skewered with mixed peppers and served with a side of butternut squash and grilled corn, PERi chips and mango sangria. The dish served presented on a skewer which hangs from a hook on a stand. 

                       

                              Paneer (veg version of Espetada)

   

Mango Sangria was served to go along with it.  We just loved the combo.  I tried Espetada for the first time and fell head over heels for it. An array of Mocktails were served to us to relish. Citrus Bliss, Madeira Red, Poncha Zura, Refresh Mint and the list goes on.

                            

                         

The vegetarian menu looked very promising and I give a thumbs up for it as they have got apeteasers, Peri Veg, Salads, Pitas, Burgers and Wraps.

Nando's Brand Manager Sambhavi and I exchanged our views on food as she took me and my fellow blogger friends through a journey about their brand.

I recommend this place for a spicy yet delightful experience with a lovely ambiance.

My rating is 3.75/5 

Address 

1 A, Off Brigade Road,Church Street, Bangalore

Teppanyaki -- The hidden tradition

Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cusine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word teppanya is derived from teppan, which means iron plate, and yaki which means grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. In Japan, teppanyaki refers to dishes cooked using an iron plate, including steak, Shrimp, okonomiyaki, yakisoba and monjayaki.

I was invited by Teppan, Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar at Ulsoor to try them. I was trying Japanese cuisine for the first time and I didn't want to eat sushi as I always felt it was bizarre to eat raw food.  Chef Joseph promised us that there is lot more than sushi in the Japanese cuisine.

                        

                                Peach and Orange, Passion fruit Cranberry

We started off with sparklers like Peach and Orange, Passion fruit and cranberry without alcohol; they were absolute delight.  The restaurant ambience goes well with the cuisine it is serving.

We were recommended to try Teppan specialities like Meat lover maki, Tuna Batera Maki, Crispy California. As I am a big fanatic of chicken, I loved the Meat lover Maki; crumb fried chicken rolled with sushi vinegered rice.

                          

                                 Meat lover Maki

Chef June was introduced to us and we were told that he is proficient in Teppanyaki; he wrote his name on the iron griddle with egg which was amazing and soon began to juggle with his knives, a bit scary though but we enjoyed it.

    

                           

                                  Chef June juggling with his knives

The other items on the menu that we tasted were Garlic egg fried rice and assorted grilled vegetables with noodles; the taste was distinct and appetising.  

                           

                          

                                 Assorted grilled vegetables with noodles

Garlic egg fried rice is not a complicated dish. The basic ingredients are Japanese steamed rice, tonnes of garlic minces, egg, spring onion and of course their secret sauces. The taste was palatable and mouth watering.

              

                            

                                 Garlic egg fried rice

We ended our meal with some Japanese desserts.

                              

   It was a good experience and the dinner session was quite interactive with the chef.

My rating is 3.5/5 

Address : 2nd Floor, 1/3, Ulsoor Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore.

Ph no 080-32569029

Timings :12 Noon to 3 PM, 7 PM to 11 PM