Tuna Masala

I know I have been MIA for more than a year and funnily enough it is because my cooking load has increased (who would have thought!). So after being promoted to WIFE, I have definitely been a lot more busy and loving it. I did slack on the blog work but probably compensated by at least posting photos if not recipes of food I have cooked through my personal Instagram handle (at least I think).

So I am back for a bit with a recently prepared dish cooked on a hungry Friday afternoon with very few and basic ingredients to satiate rumbling tummies in no time.

Tuna Masala (Serves 2)

You will need:

1 small onion-chopped finely

1 small tomato –chopped finely

1 green chilli- slit or chopped (increase the number of chilies if you prefer your food spicy)

½ inch ginger- chopped finely

4-6 Curry leaves

1 can of Tuna fish (I used the one in oil)

A pinch of cumin seeds

Two pinches of Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red Chilli powder.

2 Tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

The steps are fairly easy.

Heat a pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds when they crackle add the onions, frying them till translucent (you know the basic drill).

Add in the chopped ginger, green chilli, curry leaves- fry a bit.

Add the chopped tomato and fry them up till they become soft.

Open up the canned tuna and add that to the pan. Break the tuna down (this takes effort).

Add the masalas i.e. Turmeric, Red Chilli.

Give the Tuna a nice stir and add salt to taste.

Allow this to fry for say about 5 minutes more.

This was devoured with some plain rice and basic dal and remembered fondly even a week later.

The Urban Dhaba ,Adliya, Kingdom of Bahrain (Our second visit)

Over the extended weekend, we visited The Urban Dhaba once again, but this time we were accompanied by two of our friends.

During our first visit , which fortunately was a weekday, there were very few guests, which probably is the reason why service was super-fast. Our second visit to The Urban Dhaba was on an extended weekend, and the place was packed, and quite naturally, there was an expected delay in catering to guests.

As mentioned in my previous post that detailed our first visit to The Urban Dhaba, I longed to try their tikkas and kababs.  So we ordered the Lamb Seekh Kabab, but unfortunately that wasn’t available that night. So we ordered for our next option Chicken Tikka as well as the Paneer Pudina Tikka.

(Photo Credits: Mr. D)

(Starters: Chicken Tikka and  Paneer Pudina Tikka)

After quite a long wait, out starters were brought to us. First we were served the, Paneer Pudina Tikka- paneer squares, tomatoes and onions marinated with fresh mint paste and spices and grilled.

                                    

Next came, the Chicken Tikka served in a table top copper tandoor, with a wooden base and two skewers with 6 pieces of amazing Chicken Tikka on each *drool*. Good food makes me happy and this definitely made me happy, for I can still recount that first encounter with that amazing piece of chicken tikka.

We also ordered 2 Aloo Paranthas and 2 Chicken Paranthas served with Minty Chutney, both of which were good for the price, however, I guess in a hurry they missed checking the salt for the Aloo in the parantha.

                           [Main: Chicken Parantha (left) & Aloo Parantha (right)]

The Chicken Tikka definitely was the highlight of our second visit.

Do give this small, cozy, Dhaba a try.

Click on the link to view my first post on The Urban Dhaba

http://bpvenus.blogspot.com/2015/09/dinner-at-urban-dhaba-adliya-kingdom-of.html

Total Bill for 4 people: BHD5.300

Please Note: This not a sponsored blog post. 

Photo Credits: Mr D.

The Urban Dhaba, Adliya, Kingdom of Bahrain (Our dinner at...)

Last night after running errands, we popped over Urban Dhaba in Adliya, Kingdom of Bahrain. After months of drooling and browsing through this restaurant's Facebook page. We randomly decided to have a small dinner there. 

Urban Dhaba is a small, colorful and interesting little place located in Adliya behind Costa Coffee. The restaurant has closely placed seating, and the tables are rather interesting and can keep you and your gang quite busy. As we waited for our order, we played board games. The dice is placed in a small bowl placed inside a 'dafli' (tambourine)!

After we placed our order, the waitress brought us a plate of papads served with chutney. I really liked the chutney, which had the right amount of spice and salt.

For starters we ordered Gobi Manchurian. The two of us couldn't finish the generous portion of crunchy, indo-chinesy appetizer. There wasn't any excess oil to be found nor were the cauliflower florets soggy because of the sauce. they were just right.

(Veg Starter: Gobi Manchurian)

(Main Course: Bhuna Ghosht and Butter Naan)

For our Main course we ordered, Bhuna Ghosht (pan fried meat in spices) with naan. The essence of a Bhuna Ghosht is the blending and frying of the spices; this needs to be done really well, there is absolutely nothing more beautiful that slow-cooked meat in its own juices and aromatic spices. For me the single and most important criteria for any mutton dish would be how the meat melts in my mouth. Very few places give cooking meat the time it needs. Urban Dhaba's Bhuna Ghosht did not quite make the cut for me and Mr. D found the salt a bit low in this dish. 

I guess next time, we need to stick to their tandoori/ tikka items. We are defintely headed to Urban Dhaba for a second time-just to try out their tandoori/ tikka items and their lassi (the whole idea of serving it in a chota matka part fascinated me)

Since Mr. D was craving some sugar last night, he ordered the Gaajar Ka Halwa. The second the waitress placed it before us on our table, I could smell that majestic aroma of saffron. The halwa was warm and yum, it definitely put me in my happy place after a couple of spoons.

The bill for just the two of us came to BHD4.500. Apart from all the food, we ordered a small water bottle and a Coke.

(Dessert: Gaajar (Carrot) Ka Halwa)

Are we going there again?
YES. And this time eyes on the kababs, tikkas, tandoori items and lassi for sure!

We went there again!!…and here is my blog post detailing our second visit.

If you have visited this quirky new place, share your experience in the message area.

Please Note: This not a sponsored blog post. 

Dinner at Panasia Bahrain (Asian Cuisine)

Last week we celebrated my Dad's birthday by going for dinner to Panasia Restaurant and Tea Lounge.

Panasia is a aesthetically decorated Restaurant situated in Um Al Hassam, certainly away from the hustle bustle of the popular restaurant road in Um Al Hassam.  The restaurant offers a good range of Chinese, Thai and Indian delicacies.

Unfortunately I do not have snaps of the main course, but I do have photographs of the Starters that we ordered as well as of the Dessert.

It didn't take them long to bring our starters, but as we waited, they gave us two plates loaded with Spicy Pappadoms and Prawn Crackers with their special sauces (I call them the traffic signal sauces-you ask why?-well because of their colors). 

Here are photographs and descriptions of the Starters we chose,

Chicken Lollypops with Oriental Sauce....sorry about the blurry photo, can't help it when you have good food in front of you ;)

Chicken Siu Mai- minced chicken, water chestnut, mushrooms served with their '3 G dip/sauce'-which I found very YUM and for some odd reason reminded me of Beef Pickle that a Keralite friend had brought from her house to our hostel in Mangalore. That is one pickle I ate daily, religiously.

Once we were done with the starters, we were given some breathing time and more importantly time to get back to those yum PRAWN CRACKERS.

In a few minutes, our Main Course was laid before us on the table, and the waiter served us all. 

Like I mentioned earlier we had the Brocolli Beef (thinly sliced beef stir fried with brocolli in oyster sauce) and the Kung Pao Chicken, again, stir fried diced chicken pieces with scallions and cashew nuts as garnish.

Sorry no photos of our main.

Considering how much we ordered for the five of us and it being dinner time (light food time) and us having a three course meal..I expected us to have no room for dessert or being unable to walk to the car but the food was astonishingly light and we didnt' have to take a doggy-bag as there were no leftovers. NONE AT ALL!

Moving on to our dessert.....here is what he shared like a good family ;) 

PanAsia's Signature Dessert- two scoops of Vanilla ice-cream, deep-fried and the outcome, a warm crispy outer shell that hold cold vanilla flavored ice-cream inside it. PURE MAGIC!

(This is TMI, but I had to mention, while trying to sleep my sister and I YouTube-d the recipe for Fried Ice cream)

Warm Chocolate Brownie topped with a scoop of Vanilla Ice-cream, cashew nuts and Chocolate Fudge sauce on the side (this doubled as Dad's birthday cake)

I do not have the break down of the bill but the total as per my memory came to BD21.300 for 5pax.

Please Note: This not a sponsored blog post.