BM Review: The Rogue Elephant, Basavanagudi

A few weeks back, I'd visited the new branch of The Rogue Elephant in Basavanagudi. The other branch is at Ulsoor, and like the Ulsoor branch, this one is attached to Ambara as well. The full review can be read here.

Not much by way of explanation, but the caramalised figs with savoury pannacotta in a balsamic vinaigrette reduction is probably the most famous dish here. It's not on the menu, and is a special, but usually it's there everyday. This is a must have. Apart from that, the pan-fried fish medallions in a puttanesca sauce and the herb roasted chicken are very good. Also, I have a soft spot for sandwiches and burgers, and the sandwiches here are pretty big and the one we had was awesome.

Iced Tea

Mezze Platter

Just Like Crab Meat

Hummus with Grilled Chicken and Pita

Zucchini Fritters

Caramalised Figs with Savoury Pannacotta in a balsamic vinaigrette reduction

Watermelon salad with Bocconcini cheese

Veg stew for cous cous

Cous Cous with harisa and garlic

Chicken bangers with mash and onion sauce

Pasta Susana

Herb Roasted Chicken

Pan-fried fish medallions in a puttanesca sauce

Pasta Pomodoro

Chicken Coronation Sandwich

Banana Walnut Loaf

Kulfi

Mango Pannacotta

Apple Pie with Ice Cream

Food: Superb
$$$: Moderately expensive. Around 500 per head for a complete meal if you have a good appetite
Service: If the co-owner Anand is there, then be sure to chat up with him. If you ask me, he's the last surviving Britisher in India :) Service is prompt, no complaints.
Verdict: South Bangalore has it all now, so no need to head towards the crowded areas of Koramangala and Indiranagar. This is a must visit, no matter which part of town you're in.

The Rogue Elephant, #93, Next to New Generation School, Opp. Krishna Rao Park, Kanakapura Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore. Phone: 98456 64681.

Home cooking: grilled chicken legs and yummy soup

After a long time, mom ended up being busy on a weekend, and I jumped at the prospect of cooking again. The weather was cloudy and there was rain in the air - perfect soup weather. In fact, I'd been wanting to have soup for a while now but wasn't able to (work's been keeping me busy).

So I decided to make soup, but I knew that we'd need something else as well, and I thought of making some nice chicken wings. But they don't sell wings at Spar!!! Horror of horrors! Luckily I spotted these yummy drumsticks and so decided to switch from wings to legs.

Some of the ingredients

Seasoning

Into the marinade

After grilling

I read about this way of roasting garlic to bring out an intense aroma. Basically, it involves heating oil in a pan and then bringing the flame down and tossing in the garlic cloves whole - without removing the skin. Cover and allow the garlic to cook for about 3-4 mins or until lightly browned. Turn the garlic over and repeat the process for the other side. Remove the garlic, peel the skin off, and grind it using a pestle and mortar or whatever and there you have it. A little lemon zest, oregano, thyme, the usual salt and pepper, some curd, and into the fridge she went for more than 24 hours. You could marinate it for a shorter period, but I knew that this was for Sunday night, so this was sitting in the fridge from Saturday afternoon until Sunday night.

I used the grill in the microwave, and realised that you need a lot of patience to do this :) It would have been so much more fun to do this in an open grill with charcoal, but you make do with what you have.

For the soup, I knew the only way my bro would have it was if there was some chicken in it, so I cut a couple of chicken breasts into cubes. I also realised I didn't have any stock, and it was too late to prepare stock, so I just used water. I had purchased a bottle of Thai seasoning (it constituted lemon grass, chili flakes, and a few other things) and so knew I'd be using that.

Onions and carrots thinly sliced

Peppers, mushroom, and seasoning

This is when the chicken cubes went in

As good as, if not better than any soup I've had

For the soup (actually, I'm not sure if that's the right word, coz as mom later told me, the pieces of chicken were too big, and there were too many 'things' in it to call it a soup), I started out with an onion and a carrot into some water that was boiled and brought to a simmer. Salt and pepper followed, after which came the red and yellow peppers and the mushroom. Then came the chicken cubes (which I had marinated for a few hours in salt, garlic paste, red chili powder and lemon juice).

To make the soup thick, I added an egg and quickly stirred it (the heat will cook the egg, so be sure to stir and break it up quickly), but I realised this wasn't enough, and so mom asked me to add a couple of tablespoons of corn flour and the resulting thickness was what we wanted. Add corn flour in small quantities by first dissolving it in some water at room temp and then toss it into the pot. Some spring onions and coriander later, with bits of bacon into my bowl, and Sunday night ended in an awesome way. Burp.

BM Review: The Hole in the Wall Cafe

So here I am, back from a short visit to Visakhapatnam, where it was hot and humid and I'm all tired. Here are the pictures of the food from The Hole in the wall Cafe in Koramangala. The review can be read here. My guest for this trip was Paul Nixon, an Englishman who's been living in Bangalore for seven years now. Paul has a great blog called India-aagh, which is a must read.

Watermelon (part of the fruits of both breakfast options)

The continental breakfast is something I'll never get used to - not with my appetite. Fruits, juice, toasted bread, and tea/coffee. The All American, though, was much better - cereal, eggs with salami/bacon/sausage, toasted bread, fruit juice, cut fruits, and tea/coffee. Paul said the sausage was quite good indeed.

Cereal

Eggs & pork sausages

Waffles & honey

Pancakes & honey

The waffles and pancakes were both good. Although served with honey and not maple syrup, the freshness in them gelled well with the honey.

Bacon, mushrooms, and cheese omelet

Breakfast sliders

Food: Good
$$$: Cheap
Service: Decent, but most people come here to chill out, and when they're in a hurry.
Verdict: Good place for breakfast if you're a late riser.

The Hole in the Wall Cafe, # 61, 1st 'A' Main, S.T. Bed, Koramangala 4th Block, (behind Hotel Maharaja), Bangalore.

BM Review: The Hole in the Wall Cafe

I've been way too busy to do anything these past few days, and to top it, I may be going out of town for the weekend, so for now, here's the link for the review. Pictures once I return on Wednesday. Stay tuned, and sorry for the delay.