Chef Heston Blumenthal’s First Visit to India

Marriott International had invited the great alchemist, magician and master of molecular gastronomy to India on a two-city tour for the third installment of their culinary initiative Masters of Marriott.

Food Stories: The D-Day, April 18, 2019, had arrived. Romano’s, the Italian restaurant at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, was packed with the Indian food media and food bloggers waiting in shared anticipation to meet their culinary idol.

Spicy Hot

Chef Heston opened his address to the Indian food media by recollecting an encounter he had with Delhi’s infamous heat while shooting a show. “I wanted to make chicken tikka masala,” says the chef, “so I went to a spice market in North Delhi. It was such a hot day that the dried chillies were literally cooking in the heat,” he exclaimed, adding, “I think it was 47 degrees Celsius.”
While the room had burst into soft chuckles, Chef Heston continued, “I was trying to look into the camera and talk about the red dried chillies but I just couldn’t because I kept coughing thanks to the overheated dried chillies!” He recounted between laughter, “It was really difficult but it was an amazing experience too!”

Secret in Details

While the chef’s multi-sensory culinary expertise is known to chefs and fans around the world, the secret, he reveals, lies in the details. With gleaming eyes, he says, “I question everything with a why. I have a great curiosity to know about things and when something inspires me, I become a big kid!”
Talking about 15 years ago when he first started the concept of food pairing, the chef says, “I subconsciously started noticing things that are ever increasingly small. Perhaps standing over a workbench for over 20 hours a day for 10 years did that to me. When you do the same thing day in and day out, you start noticing and analysing smaller nuances.”

Full Interview → Chef Heston Blumenthal’s First Visit to India

Michelin Star Chef Beppe De Vito Brings the Braci Experience to Indian Diners

All Things Nice India invited the Italian chef to bring a glimpse of Braci, his Michelin-star restaurant in Singapore, to Indian diners.

Indian Recipes: In a candid chat, the founder of ilLido Group, which runs six restaurants in Singapore, tells us about his trip to India, culinary inspirations and serving modern Italian cuisine to Indian guests.

How is India treating you?

It’s just the second day here. It’s amazing. Yesterday, I mean the guys here at JW Marriott have been fantastic, welcoming us, making, and getting everything ready for us. Sourcing all the right ingredients, because we are quite fussy about ingredients. We didn’t want to compromise too much, sourcing everything we needed. Yesterday we managed to go around town a bit by car and also walking about a little bit. It was nice to see different areas and different realities here in Mumbai, it’s quite amazing actually.

Any culinary inspirations so far?

We plan to go out and check out some markets and some produce especially I’m waiting to see the spices, obviously. Even here in the hotel’s restaurants I have seen some spices that I have never seen before. I’ve already asked the chef to source some for me.

What’s on the menu?

The menu is something that really is what Braci is all about. Yes, it’s Italian but it’s inspired by my story, by where I’ve been, my travels. I’m quite keen on Japan. I go there at least six-seven times a year. I love the respect that they have for seasonality, for the ingredients, how they source it, how they grow it, how they treat it, how they prepare it.

Watch the interview here → Chef Beppe De Vito in India

Mix Veg Rava Khichdi Recipe

Learn how to make Vegetable Rava Kichadi/Semolina Khichdi by chef Geetha Sridhar only on IFN Tamil.

Indian Cuisine: Rava Kichadi is a famous breakfast recipe in south India but it can also be served for any meal of the day and can be served with Chutney and Sambhar.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal
2 Dried Red Chillies
1 inch chopped Ginger
2 chopped Green Chillies
Asafoetida
15 Curry Leaves
2 tbsp Green Peas
1 Carrot
2 tbsp French Beans
1 Tomato
1 Potato
1 Onion
1/2 Capsicum
1 1/2 cup Water
Salt to Taste
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 cup Semolina
Coriander
1 tsp Ghee

Method:

Take some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal and dry red chillies. Stir it together. Add chopped ginger, green chillies, asafoetida and few curry leaves.
Then put green peas, carrot, french beans, tomato, potato, onion and capsicum. Mix all vegetables well.
Pour in some water along with salt and turmeric powder.
Add a bowl of semolina in the pan and stir it. Cover it with a lid and keep for some time.
Take it out in a bowl and Garnish with coriander leaves and ghee.
Ready To Serve

Video Recipe → Rava Khichdi Recipe

Crispy Italian Poha Cutlet Recipe

Taking care of healthy food habits for picky eaters is always a task, So today India food network brings you a quick and easy kid-friendly recipe Italian Poha Cutlet by chef Megha Joshi.

Indian Food: Italian Poha Cutlet is a fusion of Poha, Cheese, Potatoes with Italian herb, make this for your kids and let us know their reaction in the comments below.

Ingredients:
– 1 cup Soaked Poha
– 2 tbsp Boiled Potatoes
– 3 tbsp Grated Cheese
– 1 tsp Oregano
– 1 tsp Garlic
– 1 tsp Green Chillies
– 1 tsp Onion Powder
– 1 tsp Garlic Powder
– Salt to taste
– Breadcrumbs
– Oil for Frying

Method:

In a mixing bowl, take a cup of soaked poha, boiled potatoes (grated), cheese (grated), oregano, garlic, green chillies, onion powder, garlic powder and salt.
Mix it well.
Take breadcrumbs in a plate.
Rub some oil on your palms and form cutlets and roll it in the breadcrumbs.
Shallow fry the cutlets in a pan with hot oil till its golden brown in color.
Place the cutlets on tissue paper to remove excess oil.
Serve the cutlets with pizza sauce or any other sauce (optional).

Video Recipe → Poha Cutlet Recipe

Maharashtrian Style Kairichi Aamti Recipe

The Season of mangoes here, learn how to make Maharashtrian style Raw Mango Dal/ Kairichi Aamti by our own chef Archana Arte only on IFN Marathi.

Indian Food Recipes: Make this delicious Raw Mango Dal and serve it with chapati or plain rice.

Ingredients:
1 cup Coconut
7-8 Dry Red Chillies
3-4 Garlic Cloves
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 inch Ginger
3 – 4 Black Pepper
Water
2 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
8-10 Curry Leaves
1 Onion
Salt to taste
Coriander
1 Raw Mango

Method:

In a mixer jar, add coconut, few dried red chilies, garlic cloves, coriander seeds, ginger, black pepper and water. Mix all nicely.
Once it’s done, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, onion, salt and coriander. Cook till the onion turns soft.
Then put a bowl of chopped raw mangoes in the pan. Mix and stir it.
Pour in some water to let it get thick.
Cook it and Serve with rice and other accompaniments

Video Recipe → Kairichi Aamti Recipe

9 kg malignant tumour successfully removed from Bengaluru woman’s body

After the six-and-a-half hour surgery in February, the patient’s recent scans show no sign of cancer.

Health News: In February, 58-year-old Samantha* found herself in a troubling situation. She had put on significant weight, and her belly had begun protruding, almost as though she was pregnant. When she approached a private hospital in Bengaluru with these health issues, little did she realise how much more serious the ultimate diagnosis would be.

After scans revealed that she had a mass in her abdomen, she was referred to Manipal Hospital in the city, where a successful surgery removed a nine-kilogram cancerous tumour from her abdomen. It has been about two months since this surgery, and her scans show no signs of the cancer.

How she was diagnosed

When Samantha approached a gynaecologist at the private hospital, she was told that her uterus had prolapsed — a medical term for when an organ or part of an organ slips forward or down — and was coming out of her vagina. A CT scan was prescribed, which clearly showed the presence of a huge tumour. Doctors diagnosed it as a retroperitoneal liposarcoma, which is a cancer that arises out of fat.

Liposarcoma is different from lipoma, which is the most common form of tumour in the human body. Lipomas are benign and do not cause any damage other than perhaps altering appearance. A liposarcoma rarely ever originates from an existing benign lipoma. Dr Shabber says that among liposarcomas, a retroperitoneal liposarcoma which arises at the back of the abdomen, is most common.

After the CT scan, Samantha approached Manipal Hospital, situated on Bengaluru’s Old Airport Road. There Dr Shabber reviewed the situation. “The tumour was extended from her diaphragm to her pelvis. It had displaced several organs too – the left kidney had been pushed to the…. continue reading full story

‘Avengers: Endgame’ earns Rs 124 cr in India in 3 days, $644 million worldwide

The film also saw China’s highest grossing three-day start, and North America’s biggest opening weekend ever.

Entertainment News: Avengers: Endgame, the final chapter from the Avengers franchise, may be setting the box office registers ringing everywhere, but the film is also scripting history, and is beating its own records. Worldwide, the final movie in the Avengers franchise has earned $644 million in its opening weekend, beating its own record from Avengers: Infinity War of $641 million, according to CNN. At its current pace, it’s expected to earn $1.1 billion by the end of the weekend.

This trend continued in India as well. According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the film saw a gross box office collection of Rs 124.40 cr until Saturday and is racing toward a Rs 150 cr weekend opening in the country, a feat that even Bollywood is yet to catch up with. Avengers: Endgame has taken an unprecedented opening at the Indian box office collecting Rs 63.21 crore (Gross Box Office Collection) and Rs 53.10 crore (Net Box Office Collection) in all languages. It released in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu across 2,845 screens in India on Friday, according to the film’s representatives. It is now the country’s biggest Hollywood opener in the country till date.

When pre-bookings opened in India, BookMyShow said that a peak of 18 tickets per second were seen on the portal.

The film also broke a record in China, and had the highest grossing three-day start. It also saw North America’s biggest opening weekend ever.

“The massive response by audiences across the country is a testimony of how emotionally invested the Marvel fans are in the Avengers franchise. They have eagerly waited to watch the culmination of the journey of 11 years and their extraordinary love for the Marvel characters is… continue reading full story

Amid protests, Telangana Inter Board postpones supplementary exams to May 25

While theory exams would end on June 1, practical exams are scheduled to be held between June 7 and June 10.

Telangana News: The Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has postponed Advanced Supplementary Exams from May 16 to May 25, it was announced on Sunday.

While the Intermediate First Year (Class 11) exam will be held during morning session, Second Year (Class 12) will be held in the afternoon. The exams will continue till June 1.

According to the schedule earlier announced by the BIE, the exams were to begin on May 16. As the re-verification of answer sheets of all failed students and other applicants is likely to take more time, the BIE has postponed the Advanced Supplementary Exams.

The BIE said that the second language exam would be held on the first day followed by English and the core subjects. While the exam would be held from 9 am to 12 pm for first year students, second year students would take the exam from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

While theory exams would end on June 1, practical exams are scheduled to be held between June 7 and June 10.

A total of 9.74 lakh students appeared in Intermediate first and second year exams held in February-March.

The Board on April 18 announced the exam results and continue reading full story

12 children among 28 bonded labourers rescued from Kanchipuram

The tip-off to the bonded laborers came from a laborer and his family who had escaped from the employer.

Tamil Nadu News: The courage of a 55-year-old bonded labourer and his family paved the way for the freedom of 24 more such labourers, including 12 children, from a woodcutting unit in Sriperumbudur near Chennai.

According to news reports, Rajendran, his wife Manjula and their two children escaped from the woodcutting unit in February after working there for six years. Rajendran had been given an advance of Rs 6,000 by the owner of the unit Murugan and was asked to work there with his family.

After escaping from the unit, Rajendran and his family took shelter at their relative’s house near Mahabalipuram. However, Murugan tracked them down and assaulted them. Members from the left parties in the region then came to the family’s rescue and also alerted the Released Bonded Labourer Association (RBLA). The RBLA volunteers then reported this matter to the district administration and took Rajendran and his family to a safe place.

The Kanchipuram sub-collector, based on the tip-off from RBLA, ordered an inquiry into the issue as well as the rescue of other bonded labourers working at the unit. Following this, the district officials conducted an investigation and rescued six other families from the woodcutting unit. They were all given their release certificates by the sub-collector on April 27 along with free rice and clothes. These release certificates help rescued bonded labourers avail the rehabilitation benefits provided to them by the…continue reading full story

Cyclone Fani: IMD declares yellow alert for five districts in Kerala on Tuesday

Yellow alert has been declared in Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram and Wayanad districts on April 30.

Kerala News: In the wake of cyclone Fani which is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm in the coming 24 hours, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert in five districts of Kerala on April 30.

Yellow alert has been declared on Tuesday in Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram and Wayanad districts. IMD had earlier issued yellow alert in four districts – Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad – for Monday.

Heavy rainfall in isolated places is expected in the districts where yellow alert has been issued. The rainfall will measure from 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm and has been predicted in one to 25 stations in each district.

IMD has also predicted that rest of the districts in the state will receive light to moderate rainfall till May 2.

Warnings have also been given to fishermen in the state as high swell waves in the range of 1.5 – 2.2 meters have been predicted along the coasts of Kerala and Lakshadweep. “Squally wind speed reaching from 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph has been predicted on April 29 and 30 along and off Kerala coast. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea area along and off Kerala coast, Comorin area and Gulf of Mannar on 29th and 30th,” said an IMD release.

Those fishermen who are in deep sea in the above areas are also asked to return to… continue reading full story