The Hungry Cancerian

Choc Le' - A sinful indulgence!

By tesrygkhl' - 8/07/2015

Hello! Greetings to all those reading this. :)

Today, I was privileged to try out Choc Le's box of goodies which contained super tasty Chocolates and a couple of mouthwatering desserts.

Statutory Warning: Reading the below content will cause you instant chocolate cravings. ;)

So I got back home to find this cute goodie bag lying in my refrigerator. The picture above is the first glimpse of the packaging.

As I opened the bag further, there were 2 boxes wrapped neatly with ribbons as if they were trying to say, "Come, dig into me!" :D

Mixed Berries Jar

So this cute little jar was the first thing that grabbed my attention. As it has been labelled, this jar contained freshly blended mixed berries. The texture appears just like a fruit jam, but trust me it tasted fantastic. I could literally feel those fresh little berry seeds while gulping it down.

And then I happened to open another box. To my surprise there was this tasty looking Coffee Mousse.
Don't we all agree on how well coffee and chocolate pair together? :D
It was creamy on the surface, and had a slightly thick chocolate cake base. With keeping even the slightest detail in mind, this dessert was made with perfection! I would personally recommend this Mousse to all.

Coffee Mousse

Cheese cake was my next dessert! Sweet, slimy and a tinge of tangy-ness is how I would love to describe it.

So all you Cheese cake lovers, this one is a must try. :)

Cheese Cake

Being a sucker for Chocolates, I was a lot more thrilled to open the next box. A box full of chocolates. YES!

Choco Fills

This box had 8 delectable chocolates, each with a different flavor. The flavors were indeed unique and different!

Here's a sneak peek of these super tempting choco fills. <3

Masala Chai Choco Fill

As unique as it appears, the filllings inside truly resembled the ingredients to that of a typical Indian Masala Chai. Absolutely loved it and I ended up craving for some more!

Hazelnut Almond Choco Fill

As the name suggests, it was scrumptious and chocolaty. The pieces were loaded with plenty of nuts which added so much more taste to the chocolate.

Pista Choco Fill

Do you see how this single piece of chocolate is loaded with so many Pistachios? :D

A very innovative creation. I would term it as a Pista-licious affair! :)


Chilli Choco Fill

To be honest, I was a bit afraid to taste this flavor. :P

I was completely in awe after opening this chocolate. So many chilli flakes on that little piece, WOW! And believe me, this was the second best flavor amongst the 8 of them. The first bite would taste like a normal sweet chocolate, but in the end it leaves you with a tiny bit of a spicy smack. This is true creativity! :)


Orange Choco Fill

A lovely combination of fresh Oranges and Chocolate, this one just stole my heart away! <3

Sea Salt Caramel Choco Fill

Again, a unique one.. The Sea salt caramel is a perfect blend of both sea salt and caramel. Caramel gives it a sweet taste, whereas the sea salt made it slightly salty.

Cookie Dough Choco Fill

How more tasty could it get? Cookie dough is an absolute delight to your sweet tooth.

Coffee Crunch Choco Fill

And finally comes my favourite. I can eat them as many you give me. With its cute appearance and soft texture, this chocolate made me go gaga over it. Go ahead, order a lot of these! :D

About Choc Le':

Rupali Samat, digs into chocolates just as a kid would on her first introduction to the world of chocolates! Owner, daughter to the founders, professional who moved on from her corporate career to set up and grow her dream – Choc Le – she spends most of her waking moments, innovating. She would be stunned if you label her passion as “choco-vation” (chocolate & innovation), but with the many firsts, wide product portfolio and the distinctive flavors one cannot miss out this food entrepreneur.

Established only few years back, Choc Le today stands with a brilliant team that actually comes with a combined expertise of 3 decades, largest per day capacity to produce desserts (250kgs) and chocolates (800kgs), works closely with the Café & Restaurant industry (attending to a countrywide requirement), has an established robust packaging and delivery model and runs an ISO 2200-2005 certified business.

Apart from their official website, you can also find Choc Le' on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Zomato .

The overall rating for Choc Le' would be 9.5/ 10.

This review would not have been possible without the help of Nuvo Foodies. Follow them on Instagram & Twitter @NuvoFoodies for a #FoodieTrail .

Also, many thanks to Mrs. Pooja Trehan Dhamecha for organising this review. :)

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Restaurant Review: The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe

By tesrygkhl' - 5/22/2015

Greetings to you all, my lovely readers! I hope you are having a great weekend.
Today I have a great news exclusively for the residents of Navi Mumbai.

Have you heard of the new eatery in town: The Salad Bar and Walnut Cafe ?
If not, then you really really really need to visit this place.
They are situated on the 1st Floor of Haware IT Park, just opposite to our most favorite: Inorbit Mall, Vashi.

So this cafe is located in the most happening area of Vashi, and one cannot fail to notice it!
Just as I entered the venue I was greeted with warm smiles by Mr. Kunal, the owner of this lovely cafe.
The place is spacious enough to accommodate 15 tables with at least 4 people on one table. The view one gets from the cafe is just breathtaking, as you can see the whole of Inorbit Mall and Four Points Hotel.

The ambiance of the cafe is pleasant enough to enjoy a good evening with your loved ones. Besides, the lighting is neither too bright nor too dull. And the hospitality is one thing where this cafe earns brownie points. Such friendly staff, and quick service. Impressive!!

Coming to the food part, I'm going to list everything I tried below along with the pictures:

They have such a wide variety of fruit juices, which kind of confused me which one to choose. :P
So I settled to order for an Watermelon Strawberry Cooler for myself, and Forever Young for my friend.


Watermelon Strawberry Cooler

This cooler was a perfect blend of Watermelon, Strawberries, Lemon and Chia Seeds.
It's served cold, and is naturally sweet with no added sugars. It was just perfect as it looks in the picture!

Forever Young

This juice has been named perfectly. It contains ingredients such as Beet Root, Carrot, Apple, Ginger and Lemon in it. After all with so many healthy things in it, who can't remain "forever young" ? :D
Besides, it was not too sweet even and the texture was thick. All you health conscious people, this seems a perfect drink for y'all.

Coming to the Salad section, they serve an amusing variety of 26 salads; including veg and non-veg.
Although there's more variety in vegetarian salads.

Amongst these, we ordered for a Red Warrior Salad and a Tex Mex Salad.


Red Warrior Salad

The Warrior Salad is an absolute no-brainer when it comes to ordering a non-veg salad. It was the highlight of today's menu tasting.
It tasted like pure heaven! This salad is loaded with Teriyaki Chicken, Mixed Lettuce leaves, Soba Noodles, Broccoli, Grilled Peppers, Peanuts with a twist of Spicy Soy Ginger dressing.
If you like your salad moderately spiced and loaded with chicken pieces, go for this one. :)

Tex Mex Salad

The Tex Mex Salad had been recommended to me by one of the restaurant staff, saying that it's their speciality salad. It contains Roquette, Mixed Lettuce, Prawns, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Jalapeno, Sweetcorn, Paprika, Avocado, Lemon Mint Vinaigrette.
It is a mix of sweet-tangy flavors. The loaded sweet corn makes the salad more sweeter.
For me it tasted average, as I don't like my food too sweet.

These salads are served in large bowls with exceptionally great quantities, which is more than enough to serve 2 people.
The best thing about these salads are, that they're very light and easy to digest.

So even if you're on a diet, you can still get to binge on tasty food. Woot woot!

Apart from the salad bar there's the Walnut Cafe, which has a whole another menu.
The food menu ranges from Sandwiches, Wraps, Pastas, Mocktails and other International Cuisines.

Croque Monosieur Sandwich

I picked a Croque Monosieur from the non-veg sandwich section. This yummy looking sandwich consisted of Ham, Mustard and Cheese. With it's minimal ingredients, this sandwich tasted just right.
The French fries were crisp and crunchy too. Absolutely loved the dip! Besides, the salad served for sides were Mixed lettuce leaves with orange peel shavings.

And that's how this place totally tantalised my taste buds! :)

When asked the owners about the idea behind coming up with this cafe, they exclaimed that Navi Mumbai has never had the concept of a Salad Bar. Their main aim is to serve the best of salads in town and eliminate the stereotype that salads are more than just raw veggies which can't taste yummy!

The menu is reasonably priced and the cost for 2 people shouldn't exceed more than Rs.900/-

P.S.: The Salad Bar and Walnut Cafe has completed it's 1 month of service today. So why not go ahead and show them some love on their 1st month anniversary? :)

This review would not have been possible without the help of Navi Mumbai Foodies. Follow them on Instagram & Twitter @NaviMumbaiFoodies for a #FoodTrail .
Also, many thanks to Mrs. Pooja Trehan Dhamecha for organising such a lovely evening.

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cheese

Chicken/ Vegetable Pasta

By tesrygkhl' - 5/20/2015

Greetings to you all. :)
Today I'm going to post something which is straight from my mom, Mrs. Varsha Bathija's cook book.
This recipe is loved by every person who has tasted it so far. Believe me, you're going to start drooling in the next few moments! :P

CHICKEN/ VEGETABLE PASTA

Cuisine: Italian

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Level of difficulty: Medium

Serves: 4

First of all, I'll list down all the vegetables that would be required for this recipe:

Green Bell Pepper/ Capsicum; finely sliced
Red Bell Pepper (Optional)
Yellow Bell Pepper (Optional)
4-5 Spring Onions with leaves; diced finely
100 gms Red Cabbage; finely chopped

Other ingredients:

500 gms Borges Tri-color Fusilli Pasta
2 Tablespoons Schezwan Chutney
2 Tablespoons Green Chilli Sauce
1 Tablespoon Red Chilli Sauce
250 gms Chicken; boiled & shredded (optional)
1 Tablespoon Butter
Oregano
Green Olives
Chilli Flakes
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
Coriander leaves for garnish
Parmesan Cheese/ Mozzarella Cheese
Salt as per taste

NOTE:

This recipe can be turned to pure veg, if the chicken pieces are subtracted from it.
Any shape of Pasta can be used; such as Farfalline, Elbow Macaroni, Penne, Penne Rigate, Spaghetti, Etc.

Steps:

Boil water in a large cooking vessel, add a little salt and a teaspoon of butter to it. Cover it with a lid, so that it boils faster.
Add the pasta to the boiled water and let it cook for approximately 5-7 minutes. Check when the Pasta starts turning soft. Do not over-boil it.
Drain the boiled water from the Pasta and keep it aside for a while.
In a large non-stick vessel, add little butter and saute all the three kinds of Bell Peppers for a minute.
Then add the Cabbage and Spring Onions and saute all these vegetables until they seem slightly soft. Do not over cook them. The texture should be a little crunchy.
Add Schezwan Chutney, Red Chilli Sauce, and Green Chilli Sauce and mix it well with the vegetables.
Sprinkle Oregano and Chilli Flakes for seasoning.
Add Salt, if required.
Add the chicken pieces and coat them properly with the sauce. (Skip this step if you are making Veg Pasta)
Finally add Mayonnaise to the mixture and cook on a low flame, stirring it continuously for 1 minute.
Then add the Pasta to this mixture, and carefully mix both of them such that the pasta doesn't break.
Sprinkle a few Green Olives and the finely chopped Onion leaves.
Cover the pasta with a lid and let it cook for 5-7 minutes on a low flame.
While the Pasta is getting done, grate some cheese.
Once the texture appears to be cooked, serve small portions in a plate and sprinkle grated cheese and coriander leaves on it.
Microwave the pasta for a minute, which you served in plates so that the cheese gets melted and tastes creamier.
Serve hot and fresh.

I hope you like this recipe. I'll be glad to know how it turned out to be, so please let me know in the comment section below! :)

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chicken recipes

Chicken-Mayo Salad

By tesrygkhl' - 5/19/2015

Hey everyone! It's summer time, and it becomes difficult for your body to digest heavy meals.
In this scorching heat, why not opt for light snacks over fried food?
So I'm going to post a recipe today which is hassle-free and takes less time to prepare! :)

CHICKEN-MAYO SANDWICH

Cuisine: American
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Level of difficulty: Easy
No. of servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 small Red Bell Pepper
1 small Yellow Bell Pepper
1 small Green Bell Pepper
5-6 Lettuce Leaves
1/4th kilo Chicken, boiled and finely shredded
4-5 spring onions with leaves, finely chopped
1/4th kilo Red Cabbage, finely chopped
Oregano
Chilli Flakes
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Schezwan Chutney
Green Chilli Sauce
Mayonnaise
Coriander leaves to garnish
Salt (if required)

NOTE: This recipe can be turned to pure veg, if the chicken pieces are subtracted from it.

Steps:

Chop the Red, Yellow and Green Bell Pepper into long and thin slices.
Wash the Lettuce leaves thoroughly, and shred them into medium pieces.
Take a non stick skillet and heat olive oil in it.
Add the three kinds of bell peppers to it, saute for 1 minute and keep them aside.
Saute the Red Cabbage and spring onions for 1 minute each.
In a large bowl, mix all the sauted veggies and sprinkle a teaspoon of Olive Oil to them.
Sprinkle Oregano and Chilli flakes, as desired.
Add the chicken pieces to the bowl. (Skip this step if you are making a veg salad)
Add the Lettuce leaves too.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to this mixture and stir well.
Add 1 spoon Schezwan Chutney and Green Chilli Sauce.
Mix these ingredients well to ensure they are properly coated in the sauces.
Finally add 2 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise and mix thoroughly.
Add salt, only if required.
Garnish with Spring Onion Leaves and Coriander Leaves.
You can either serve the salad at room temperature or refrigerate it and serve cold..

Serving suggestions: This salad can be served as a starter, or can even be eaten as a light meal or an evening snack.

I hope you like this recipe. I'll be glad to know how it turned out to be, so please let me know in the comment section below! :)

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Chicken Korma

By tesrygkhl' - 4/27/2015

Have you guys experienced what it's like being home alone? Sounds so much fun right!
You can call in your friends for a pyjama party or stay up late at night.. And dang! Nobody is going to stop you from doing what you want to! I'm writing this keeping in mind the perspective of young adults, like me.

But as Uncle Ben quoted, "With great power comes great responsibility" , I too have a responsibility. And that is to cook!
Since you all know by now that how much I love to cook food, cooking chicken is my forte!

Hence presenting you the best of what I know! :)

CHICKEN KORMA

Cuisine: Indian.
Preparation Time: 1 Hour.
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Level of difficulty: Moderate.
No. of servings: 4

I always have the habit of modifying original recipes, and adding something new to it according to my preferences. Usually this recipe contains yogurt, but I decided to make it without Yogurt.

For the marinade:

1 kilo skinless chicken cut into medium pieces.
1 tbsp. Ginger-garlic paste.
1 tbsp. Everest Meat Masala powder.
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 full Egg.
1 tsp Coriander Powder.
1 tsp Turmeric powder (Haldi).
1 tsp Black Pepper.
Salt as per taste.
Pinch of Red food color. (Optional)

Mix all the ingredients well with the chicken, and refrigerate it for at least an hour.

For the gravy:

2 big Onions
2 Tomatoes
5-6 Green Chillies
2 Dried Red Chillies
2 tbsp Ghee
1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
1 inch long Cinnamon stick (Daalchini)
1 small Bay Leaf (Tej Pata)
1 Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
3-4 Curry Leaves
3-4 Peppercorns
5 Cashew Nuts
1 Egg
1 tsp Fresh Cream
Coriander for garnishing.
Salt as per taste.
1 tsp each of masalas like Red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and Garam Masala.

Steps:

Remove the marinaded chicken from the refrigerator after 1 hour and keep it aside.
Take a non stick skillet and pour 2 tbsp Ghee in it. Wait till the Ghee is heated, then add the marinaded chicken into it and shallow fry it until the texture of the pieces appear a little cooked.
Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes roughly in to small pieces and put it in mixer along with green chillies, cashew nuts, curry leaves and dried red chillies. Grind the mixture until it turns to a puree.
By this time, the chicken pieces might have been roasted. Remove them from the skillet and keep them aside.
Chop the Onions roughly and grind them in to a paste. This would be easier for it to cook fast.
Take the same skillet in which you shallow fried the chicken, and add a teaspoon of Ghee to it.
Once the Ghee is heated, add the Peppercorns, Black Cardamom, Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf and Ginger-garlic paste. Stir fry until the raw smell of the mixture has gone.
Then add the Onion paste to it and again stir fry it for the next 3 minutes or until the texture of the onions appear brownish.
Add the Tomato puree and mix well. Bring to boil on a low flame.
Break in an egg in to the gravy.
You may notice that the gravy must have begun to thicken and might taste a little sweetish.
Add Garam Masala, Coriander powder, Everest Chicken Masala Powder, and Turmeric powder. Red chilli powder is optional, depending on whether you prefer spicy or not.
Add salt as per taste.
Add the chicken pieces into the gravy and mix it well. The gravy should coat the chicken pieces properly.
If you feel that the gravy is too thick, you may add water according to your requirement of gravy.
Stir well and keep the skillet covered on a low flame for about 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring the chicken occasionally after every 5 minutes.
Once the chicken pieces turn soft, pool in the fresh cream in the gravy and stir it.
Bring the chicken to a boil on a low flame.

And that's how your Chicken Korma is ready. You can garnish it with Coriander and Onion rings.