Box8 – Reviewed!

Box8-a planned concept started by a young team for today's busy life! The idea is to serve delicious Veg and Non-Veg Indian food on the go. The popular All-in-One meal box, which is a fulfilling new-age Indian meal, convenient to eat anytime, anywhere. I thought of trying it and had a long list to order. Once you go through the menu; you will be spoilt by the choices right from Salads to All-in-one meal to Wraps, Sandwiches, Curries, Roti, Rice, Drinks, Desserts and Salad. You ask them and they have it!

Nearest outlet to my place is Kothrud, I wanted home delivery for a lazy Sunday noon. Our area is out of their delivery area, but when I asked them, they happily agreed to do so. Below is the snapshot of all the vegetarian food I ordered...

• Bombay Special Sandwich (4.5/5)
• Farmer's Market Salad (3.5/5)
• Palak Paneer Curry (4/5)
• Shahi Paneer Biryani (3.5/5)
• Moong Dal ka Halwa (4/5)
• Gulabjamuns (4.5/5)
• Choco Lava Cake (4/5)

Delivery was before the given time but the food was nicely packed. Some order glitches were there for sure.

Bombay Special Sandwich- This is the best sandwich I have ever had in recent times. Toasted multi-grain panini bread with lip smacking veg patties, sauces and vegetables giving it a feel of eating at chaupatty. I bet no one can stop after having a bite. Surely, ordering it again!

Farmer's Market Salad was average. Lettuce, Mushrooms, Baby corn, Olives, Jalapenos, Capsicum & loads of veggies tossed in Thousand island dressing was a power-packed box.

Palak Paneer Curry was made with succulent paneer (cottage cheese) in a rich gravy. Paneer was fresh. Truly delectable!

In the carbs, I tried Shahi Paneer Biryani. Aromatic basmati rice cooked with fire-grilled paneer tikkas & whole spices. It is supposed to be served with raita which was missing from my order!

Lastly, could not stop myself to dig into my favourite dessert-Moong Dal Halwa, Choco Lava Cake and Gulabjamuns. I seriously relished till the end! One thing to say the quantity was limited as compared to the price, though the taste covered up all!

Overall, a nice experience of home delivered food in terms of taste and packing.

Fingerlix - Ready to Cook and Eat! — Reviewed!

Bored of cooking? or Don't know how to cook? Or want a quick fix when suddenly guests arrives? One solution is to order from restaurants but will that satisfy the home made food cravings!? May be not. If any of the situations arrive to me, I have my trusted kitchen partner – Fingerlix. They provide fresh ‘almost-ready’ food solutions like Batters, Mixes, Curries, Dals, Parathas and ‘fully-ready’ accompaniments to go with them. How much fun for the lazy bums! Hehe!

Pros..

• Delicious taste
• Heat and Eat; Quick Cooking
• Quality ingredients
• High hygiene standards, 
• No added preservatives
• Easily Available

Cons..

• More options needed
• Bit pricey (Value for money though)

The products are available in Mumbai and Pune at leading stores like D-Mart, Reliance Fresh, Star Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Hypercity, Star Daily, and Dorabjee's. 

Proud to be the first one to review the product during the launch of Fingerlix in Pune. Had the opportunity to review...

• Idli, Dosa, Uttapam Batter (4.5/5)
• Puranpoli (4/5)
• Biryani Mix (4.5/5)
• Dal Makhani (4.5/5)
• Sambhar (4/5)
• Curry Leaf Chutney (4/5)
• Dal Wada Batter (4.5/5)

In this series, today I will post about the recipes I made from the Idli, Dosa, Uttapam Batter (Rs.70/- serving family of 4-5 members). Steps to make the delicious uttapam.
1. Pour the batter in a vessel
2. Add chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander, cumin seeds, salt, red chilli powder.
3. Mix well.
4. Pour a big ladleful of the batter on the hot griddle
5. Spread evenly.
6. Serve with the Fingerlix Ready to Eat Sambhar and Curry Leaf Chutney.

Also, I made quick Idlis and here is the process to make them...
1. Empty the batter in a vessel.
2. Brush the steamer slots with the oil
3. Drop batter into the idli steamer slots.
4. Steam.
My idea of leftover idli was to shallow fry with some mustard seeds, green chillies and curry leaves. Sprinkle Podi masala to give it the magical twist. Garnish with coriander. Loved the quick and wholesome breakfast.

What recipes you can suggest? Please share your ideas and experiences in the comment box below. Eagerly waiting to read from you...:)

Bubble Rush – One stop shop for Bubble Teas and more!

Bubble Teas are the latest fad in the beverage market. They are sometimes also called as Pearl Milk Tea, Boba Milk Tea, Tapioca Tea etc. I had never tried and tasted until one day I found this amazing place in Camp – Bubble Rush, which offers a wide range of bubble teas, smoothies, snacks and waffles. 
Location and Ambience:: Located in Shop 41, Kumar Plaza, 8, MG Road, Pune, the cafe is in the lane adjacent to the legendary Marz-o-Rin. A very tiny place with the counter right at the entrance and stairs leading to the seating area upstairs. Bright colored tables, food quote frames can be seen in that area. Mostly people pack and carry but if you wish you can sip it while reading your favourite book.


Menu:: The menu ranges from Milk based bubble tea, fruit based, smoothies, nachos, stick waffles and Yes! Yes! my favourite Hot Chocolate too with the Tapioca Pearls. Best part is one can customise the tea by choosing the flavour, popping bobas and jellies. I haven't tried the munchies as of now but the following were the drinks which I loved...

• Watermelon Fruit Bubble Tea (4/5)
• Pink Guava Bubble Tea (3.5/5)
• Coconut Milk Bubble Tea (4/5)
• Bobatella Smoothie (4/5)

P.S:: This is an old menu.

I love fruits so my first choice was offcourse refreshing Watermelon Bubble Tea (Rs.100). The fruit flavours were added and the passion-fruit and lychee pearls just popped in our mouth. It was addictive and all together a different experience. You become a kid and love popping the pearls/bobas.

Next one too was the Pink Guava (Rs.100 for Regular). I found this drink bit off the track yet the pearls were my attraction. The suggested bubble pairing with this flavour is cherry and lychee.

Coconut is my favourite so had to try the Coconut Milk Bubble Tea (Rs.160 for Regular). This one had soothing subtle after taste of coconut. The delicious combination of Blueberry and Tapioca Pearls made it my one of the most preferred drink.

Last but not the least, the Bobatella Smoothie (Rs.160 for Small) – Sinful Nutella and Bobas smoothie with the chewy tapioca pearls. They were bit hard to bite but the thickness and taste of the smoothie balanced the drink. Loved it.

I am surely going again to try the new additions. Do share your experiences also for this value for money place. Till then, Happy Eating!

Bhairavee Pure Veg, Baner – Treat for one and all! — Reviewed!

Bhairavee, a pure veg restaurant in Baner is quite a favourite destination amongst foodies. Another bunch of restaurants in nearby areas are Effingut Brewerkz Baner, 1BHK Super Bar, The Asian Box, Teddy Boy to name a few. Located on the main road, the restaurant is easily visible. The exterior and interior is pretty, classy and traditionally done. A big Madhubani painting can be spotted just at the restaurant. Carved wooden work on the ceiling, Big painting of Pt.Bhimsen Joshi, Rustic elements, and painted glasses are some of the features of Bhairavee. Seating is divided into three areas – Ground floor, First Floor and the Outdoor. Being pleasant weather in Pune, I preferred to sit outside.

Staff is courteous. Even being a pure vegetarian place, the menu extends from Indian to Chinese to Continental. WOW! It was a difficult task to choose from the appealing list. Finally, settled with the following...

• Veg Kebab Platter or Dawat-e-Bhairavee (4/5)
• Pithala Bhakri (3.5/5)
• Bhakri Pizza (4/5)
• Bhairavee's Famous Dry Fruit Mastani (4.5/5)
• Gulabjamuns (3/5)

The Chef's special Kebab platter was huge and a good choice as we can try assorted kebabs in a single plate. It had Paneer Kakuri Kebab, Hara Bhara Kebab, Multani Mushroom, Angari Paneer Tikka, Fruit Tikka Honey Chilli, and Veg Seekh Kebab. Each dish was perfectly marinated and grilled. The plate was full of texture and flavours. From crispy Hara Bhara Kebab to tangy Fruit Tikka.

Pithala Bhakri was the next dish on our table. The classic dish is one of the signatures at Bhairavee. Pithala, the gramflour thick curry, was delicious with subtle spices which was paired well with the Jowar Bhakri. Matki usal was also yummy, spicy curry.

My main attraction was the Bhakri Pizza or Bhairavee Special Pizza was made the millet flour base topped with BBQ Cottage Cheese, Baby Corn, Mushrooms, Exotic Vegetables and loaded with Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese. This is truly a guilt-free pizza. Healthy and delicious. I liked it. May be bit expensive for some.

Another classic and most popular dish from the menu was the famous Dry Fruits Mastani. Thick Mastani (marriage of ice-cream and shake) was loaded with dry-fruits, fruits and topped with ice-cream and cherry. One of the finest dishes I had that day. A must try!

Gulabjamuns are all time favourite. The ones here were too sweet for my palate. However, the warm dessert was delicious.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Do ask servers for the recommendations if you are visiting for the first time. Ample parking is available. Do visit and share your experiences in the comment below. Till then, happy eating!