[CtrlAltDel]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Durr! It has bitter gourd in it. The methi in the paanch-phodon doesn't impart any bitterness!

As per my in laws there are 2 types of shukto vis a vis bitterness: bitter gourd version and methi version. Both are equally delicious!!!

Originally Posted by chinkara

Isn't the shukto constituency variable? I.e., you can put different vegetables. My aunt used to cook jhinge shukto, with only potato and jhinge, whatever it is called in English.

The list of veggies mentioned by DerAlte is the traditional one used most commonly, except for the bitter gourd which is only used in one version of the dish.
Adding other or lesser varieties of veggies is per personal likes. Actually any vegetable can be used as long as the slight bitterness is present (most likely thru methi in the potato-jhinga version you mentioned) and no haldi is used.

Btw jhinga is turai/ridge gourd/beerakaya

Note: i am not a Bong but married to one. So all my knowledge of Bong recipes are based on what i heard about, tasted n understood. Plz forgive any mistakes.

[bblost]

Any review pix end newly opened Vasanta Bhavan in Road 14, Banjara Hills?

Saw an article in The Hindu. It its part of the Tamil Nadu group.
So I hope the serve Sambhar instead of jaggery water.

[CtrlAltDel]

Originally Posted by bblost

Any review pix end newly opened Vasanta Bhavan in Road 14, Banjara Hills?

Saw an article in The Hindu. It its part of the Tamil Nadu group.
So I hope the serve Sambhar instead of jaggery water.

I hope they serve the complete menu now. Zomato has published the standby menu with very few items, with not even the thali included. It is mentioned there that the full menu would be made available in a week after inaugral (which happened more than a week ago I think).

I am also looking fwd to the Chennai style sambar. AFAIK, the only joint in Hyderabad serving that was Saravana Bhavan in Paradise but that has closed down. I hate the sweet Udupi "sambar"...

[dre@ms]

Saturday went in search of KDM near panjagutta and ended taking Biryani at Cafe Bahar. Took the help of Google maps and navigated almost near to it, after which there was no path for a car to travel. There were no parking areas too to search by walking. The area was too crowded and didn't want to took the pain of going in for another round.

BTW, this time the biryani at Cafe Bahar was not at all good. The chicken pieces were like very hard and seems they have given the parcel which was prepared one day before. Along with biryani took tandoori chicken and that was too good, atleast for me.

Can some one say in words how to reach KDM say from Panjagutta.
This is the way I took.
Took right under panjagutta flyover
Took the left near multi temple, but here the maps showed that we crossed the destination and re-routed only to show a road where there was no path.

[CtrlAltDel]

Originally Posted by dre@ms

Saturday went in search of KDM near panjagutta and ended taking Biryani at Cafe Bahar. Took the help of Google maps and navigated almost near to it, after which there was no path for a car to travel. There were no parking areas too to search by walking. The area was too crowded and didn't want to took the pain of going in for another round.

There is limited car parking in the small lane opposite the take away section. It is better to park in the by-lanes on the other side of the main road (the one nxt to Kamma Sangham for example). Sometimes I park at Big Bazaar and walk down. I find this comfortable coz I get to park in a secure basement.

[saikatmandal04]

Originally Posted by chinkara

Isn't the shukto constituency variable? I.e., you can put different vegetables. My aunt used to cook jhinge shukto, with only potato and jhinge, whatever it is called in English.

I always thought that 'Shukto' should always have bitter-gourd as a prime ingredient to bring out the slightly bitter taste. The 'posto', raw banana and other ingredients are there to balance this bitterness.

DerAlte has listed out the perfect recipe of the 'Shukto' according to me. However variations and different combinations are always possible.

The jhingey mentioned here brought out one more fine traditional bengali dish to my memory. The 'jhingey-posto'.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by dre@ms

Can some one say in words how to reach KDM say from Panjagutta.

Its been described several times in the past. Here it goes again.

Hope you know BIG BAZAAR in Ameerpet? KDM is located in a lane diagonally opposite to Big Bazaar and is in lane adjacent to JEANS CORNER ( Big store with a huge signboard)

Lane is usually crowded but, you can sometimes find parking space at the paid parking right in front of the KDM take-away section.

Andy, I have eaten Bong Biryani several times during my official visits to Kolkatta during 2004-06 and based on my personal experience, if given a chance I will not eat it again.

I would prefer eating a fried rice instead

[dre@ms]

Originally Posted by CtrlAltDel

There is limited car parking in the small lane opposite the take away section. It is better to park in the by-lanes on the other side of the main road (the one nxt to Kamma Sangham for example). Sometimes I park at Big Bazaar and walk down. I find this comfortable coz I get to park in a secure basement.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Its been described several times in the past. Here it goes again.

Hope you know BIG BAZAAR in Ameerpet? KDM is located in a lane diagonally opposite to Big Bazaar and is in lane adjacent to JEANS CORNER ( Big store with a huge signboard)

Lane is usually crowded but, you can sometimes find parking space at the paid parking right in front of the KDM take-away section.

It was the first time I visited Ameerpet and not sure where to park. Now I knew I have quite a few places to safely park and enjoy my meal.
Off topic, is the Big Bazaar at Ameerpet bigger than the one in Tarnaka ?

[racer_ash]

Do not want to discourage all the foodies here in this forum. But just could not stop myself from posting this. Looks like the hygiene standards of most restaurants, including the famous ones, is going down the drain. Here is a news item from the postnoon.

http://postnoon.com/2013/05/27/790-e...ditions/127468

Around 50% of the eateries inspected were closed down. That's a scary percentage.

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by racer_ash

Do not want to discourage all the foodies here in this forum.

Looks like the hygiene standards of most restaurants, including the famous ones, is going down the drain.

Around 50% of the eateries inspected were closed down.

That's a scary percentage.

The GHMC has inspected 1,516 eateries from January to May this year and has issued notices to 975 eateries to rectify their services and improve their standards. In all, 790 eateries were shut down because of unfit conditions.

If we start listing the names of all restaurants reviewed here on this thread going backwards from today till January 2013, I doubt that we will find even one eatery which has closed down due to hygiene though a few could have closed down due to poor management.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

If we start listing the names of all restaurants reviewed here on this thread going backwards from today till January 2013, I doubt that we will find even one eatery which has closed down due to hygiene though a few could have closed down due to poor management.

How do we know if those are part of that list of hotels that closed down?

Is there a published list of hotels that closed down?

[hyd_traveller]

Originally Posted by mobike008

How do we know if those are part of that list of hotels that closed down?

No one can eat at a closed down eatery so cannot review it

[bblost]

Having my dinner at vasanta bhavan.
Its good.
Just drank my first bowl of sambar waiting for more. Prices are good and ambience is nice.

[CtrlAltDel]

Originally Posted by bblost

Having my dinner at vasanta bhavan.
Its good.
Just drank my first bowl of sambar waiting for more. Prices are good and ambience is nice.

good! Does the menu include meals etc now?

Originally Posted by mobike008

Andy, I have eaten Bong Biryani several times during my official visits to Kolkatta during 2004-06 and based on my personal experience, if given a chance I will not eat it again.

lol...yeah...thats why I said that people used to spicy strong biryani like ours cannot enjoy the light n fragrant offerings from Lucknow or Bengal.
Even I cannot finish an entire plate of that biryani tho I dont mind that taste in small doses.

I was reading that debate you were having with DerAlte n one another, about taste preferences. I agree its all about mindset, mental blocks and love for things familiar. As a natural veggie who enjoys some non-veg, I prefer non-veg that is not chewy and the meaty taste/texture is largely masked.
This means I avoid red meats and stick to poultry and sea food.

That said, I do not think I have the mental block that prevents me from trying exotic non veg. I prefer to try anything at least once before declaring I dont like it. This has enabled me to taste exotics like crocodile, kangaroo, deer etc in my trips abroad.

I also appreciate new tastes n flavours and do not automatically compare them to the familiar.

As far as I am concerned there is no bad tasting food, only new tasting food. This attitude enables me to enjoy n appreciate things like....Kolkatta style Biryani or a mild cheesy risotto. I may not like a specific dish but I never call it "terrible" or "bad tasting", because me not liking a dish does not make it "bad".

[bblost]

Originally Posted by CtrlAltDel

good! Does the menu include meals etc now?

Meals are available for Lunch.

My bill:
Water: 39
Idly: 2*49
Chilly Paratha: 99 (Salt was not uniformly mixed. Not the one I get in Chennai)
Rawa Dosa: 99
Vada: 2*59
Pongal: 59
Paper Roast: 109
Coffee: 45

Sub Total: 715

VAT 14.5%: 103
Service Tax 4.944: 35
Service Charge 5: 35

Total: 890

Also took a parcel:

Masala Dosa: 69

VAT: 10
ST: 3
Parcel: 15

Total: 95.


Loved all the food except the Chilly Parotta.

Service is a little confused at times. Very polite and all but also confused.
The waiters are not sure what dish is available and what is not.
Ambiance is decent. Its was a fairly crowed restaurant considering it was a Monday night.

Would go back again.

I may not like a specific dish but I never call it "terrible" or "bad tasting", because me not liking a dish does not make it "bad".