Doughnut - Krispy Kreme, Bangalore

Doughnut is one of those deep, childish pleasures one never grows out of. It may not be much to look at, but under that coated exterior is rich and inside the soft dough lays a sweet secret. Encouraging one to play a mindless game of locating the filling entry point before biting into it and experiencing the delight of the exact location is a happy surprise to the eater.

My hubby and I were driving down Church Street on late Sunday evening and we noticed a big Krispy Kreme neon sign. Such coincidence is rare as earlier the very same day we had been out to visit relatives and caught up with an aunt of mine from California, USA. In the normal course of conversation she casually opined that the Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme are the best confectionaries she ever had. Never having tasted this, I wondered when we can get a bite of such delights in Bangalore. Come evening, we continued our outing by wandering aimlessly in one of the busiest shopping streets and surprise - Krispy Kreme had  launched its first outlet at Namma Bengaluru on 19th Jan 2013.

My sweet tooth almost always gets the better of me even though I try to be conscious of its impact. We quickly rushed in the store and found the menu boasting of many treats and the counters was filled with many colorful and different shaped Doughnuts. I happily chose Classic Glazed Doughnut with cinnamon while my hubby selected the Chocolate Doughnut with roasted almonds for himself plus a blueberry filled doughnut to share. Believe me, one bite of the glazed doughnut and I was swimming in a sugary cloud. It just melted in my mouth – it was that lite, soft and yummy.

These tender pillow-like doughnuts would be an ideal dessert after any meal especially after a weekend breakfast. If one is in the mood for delicious doughnuts and a hot/cold beverage - I would highly recommend Krispy Kreme – Bangalore. The ambience is good, pricing is reasonable and it’s 100% vegetarian, but finding a good parking space in Church Street is a pain so plan accordingly!

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Easy, Healthy And Tasty: Semolina (Rava) Idli Recipe

Travel food is something that can be prepared in a jiff. It needs to take a good care of your system as you will be beginning your journey and hoping to see a lot in the least time available. Breads and buns are definitely good but sometimes they feel dry and boring. Today, I would like introduce to Semolina or Rava Idli recipe with an additional simple chutney. Take a look.

Semolina Idli And Chutney Recipe:

Ingredients:
About two cups of Semolina (Approx. 250 g)
1 tsp Mustard
1/2 tsp Gram and Urad dals
8-9 Curry leaves
Freshly chopped Coriander
4-5 Cashews
1 cup sour Curd/ Yogurt
1 tsp Oil (Any Refined Oil)

Travel Breakfast Procedure:

• Roast Semolina in a pancake pan for 3-4 minutes and allow it to cool.
• For saute, add a tsp of oil and allow it to heat.
• Add mustard, dals, curry leaves, cashews and fry it until light brown.
• Mix roasted semolina with the saute mixture.
• Make a fine batter by adding curd (water can be used).
• To the idli plates, add a tsp of the batter and pressure steam it until 10 minutes. Hot, soft and delicious Rava Idlis are ready.

Simple Chutney:
To the blender add fresh grated coconut, coriander, mint leaves, fried gram dal, piece of ginger, asafoetida, green chillies (according to taste), tamarind juice, salt and cumin seeds. Grind it with little water. Tasty green chutney is ready.

Idli and Chutney are nutrient rich and simple to make in the morning as the Rava mix can be prepared days before and stored in an air tight container. The travel food is also filling and can be relished when not hot. 

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Saravana Bhavan Restaurant, Paris

For south Indians, there is no life without 'soft Idlis, crispy Vada and hot Sambar' and when one of cousins visited Paris, they went straight to the world famous "Saravana Bhavan". Their idlis, dosas and filter coffee can make you feel as though you are in India and are a brand name in south east Asia. According to our cousin, "Saravana Bhavan is Saravana Bhavan".
Restaurant Ratings:
Taste: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5
Ambiance: 2.5/5

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Top 6 Highly Preferred & Healthy Travel Food

It isn't a great idea to experiment with snacks or drink while on a travel. As per a famous saying "everything that tastes good isn't very good for stomach" we need to watch out on our preferences when zooming with friends. Some drinks aren't legal to carry, some snacks can screw your happiness, some food choices can make you repent for having them in your bag. Take a look to know what type of travel food suit you the best and also keep you healthy.

6 Highly Preferred & Healthy Travel Food In The World
1. Berries With Yogurt/ Flavoured Yogurt - Whether your tummy is full or empty, whether you have the urge to eat or not, yogurt and a fruit (preferrably berries) can water your tongues anytime and as well as soothe your body in the best ways needed. A strawberry dipped in yogurt is what the Germans prefer for small munch between meals.
2. Coconut Water And Iced Tea - Definitely better than any artificial flavoured drinks. Tea is natural and energizing. It provides a fresh feel after a long travel and the antioxidant rich drink also tops with the health score than all the refreshments available in the market. Coconut water is even better as it is purely natural.
3. Dry Nuts - Nuts are perfect energizers as they not only fill stomach but are also good for body. Nuts contain natural oil and certain vitamins that are essential to keep you youthful and active. Munching cashews, almonds and hazelnuts will also avoid your bad fat intake.
4. Oatmeal and Multigrain Cookies - These protein rich cookies always taste good and satisfy your hunger pangs within no time. They are crispy, crunchy and normally not too sugary.
5. Breads, Buns And Plane Cakes are a safe option as they are never spicy or deep fried. Prefer wheat or corn flour baked breads or buns than maida ones.
6. Fruits & Veggies - Bananas, Apples, Pears, Citrus fruits are any day the best (unless allergic). Cucumbers, carrots, mint and tomatoes are best travel salads.
What Type Of Travel Food To Buy: Carefully choose dark chocolate candies, ice candies instead of artificially coloured, sugar coated and buttery stuff. Sometimes  a cup of coffee is better than any fruit drink as it is hot and safe. Coffee also prevents constipation.
Worst Travel Food: Deepfried potato snacks, too spicy and hot street food, salty peanuts, sweet dishes, sauces, uncovered snacks, greasy starters are a big no no while travelling. Also educate children about these.
Note that these highly preferred travel food are also safe in terms of calories. Store these facts in your permanent memories and we wish you a safe journey!

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Vapiano, Italian Restaurant

Recently, we planned a dinner at Vapiano, the famous Italian food chain. The food was lovely as it was customised to our taste, yes, that's the speciality of the Italian restaurant.

They are too clever with the food and do not take blame for its taste as it is our pick, jokes apart, the food is really good and we thoroughly like the ambiance. Being one of the busiest food chains of Europe, it has a special way of billing service. They offer cards while booking and sum up individually in the end. All in all, Vapiano is different and a must visit food joint.
Do not miss: Tiramisu and Sheep milk cheese

Ratings:
Taste: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Price: 3.5/5

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Taj Mahal Restaurant, Interlaken

Taj Mahal restaurant in Interlaken (switzerland) is at the centre of the city. As we stepped in, the colourful gujarati art caught our eyes. We ordered Butter Kulchas, Paneer Makhani and waited for our order. There were many more Indian couples relishing food and enjoying drink. The bill was reasonable and food, quite filling.

Ratings:
Taste: 3/5
Ambiance: 2/5
Price: 3/5

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Manju Restaurant, Hamburg

Hamburg is one of the biggest cities in Germany and even in terms of cuisine. The cosmopolitan city hauptbahnhof has a famous indian restaurant called "Manju". At Manju, you can relish tasty biriyanis and curries. They are also famous for pakoras and vegetarian jalftezi. The service is not that humble and the food is just ok.
Ratings:
Taste: 2/5

Ambiance: 3/5
Price: 2/5

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Sangeet Restaurant, Munich

It is funny but true. As we move out of home (our country), we always prefer the desi khana. That happened to us too in Munich and we finally found 'Sangeet'. The restaurant had a welcoming ambiance and we were asked to take a table. The menu looked very 'Indian' with all the familiar red designs like that of a wedding card. We ordered dal soup, butter rotis and malai kofta. The food was ready in a few minutes and served hot. We thoroughly enjoyed the dishes and ordered for a cool salt lassi instead of desserts.  It was hot summer afternoon in Munich and the food was simply apt for the day.

Ratings:

Taste: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Price: 2/5

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Stuffed Hot Dog Rolls

Vegetarian snacks are best travel tiffins. Today, I am sharing an easy recipe that is versatile and can be made in any part of the world. Take a look for more. 

My stuffed hot dog rolls will take as less as 15-20 minutes.

Stuffed Hot Dog Rolls

(Recipe shared by Anuradha Chetan)

You need:

For the hot dog rolls:

2 hot dog rolls

1 tsp melted butter

For the filling:

1/2 cooked corn kernels

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 chopped green chilli

1 tsp plain flour/maida

1/2 cup milk

a pinch sugar

1 tsp butter

salt & pepper to taste

For topping

Grated Cheese

Capsicum sliced

Tomato sliced

Preparation:

Scoop out centre portion of rolls. Keep aside the scooped out bread.

Brush the scooped part with butter

Bake in hot oven at 200 Degrees for 5 mins. (You can also toast it in a toaster)

Heat butter & fry onion, chilli till brown

Add flour & stir well

Add milk & stir for smooth sauce

Add corn, scooped out portion of rolls, sugar, salt, pepper & mix well.

Spread filling in the rolls

Top with cheese, capsicum & tomato

Grill till the cheese melts

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German Cheese Noodles

Augsburg Special Noodles
Germans have an acquired taste for noodles. Some cheese, spice with crispy onions, any german would thoroughly relish it. The reason why I chose the cheese noodle recipe is because it can be a favourite for any Italian or chinese cuisine lover. The German dish can be quickly cooked and packed as a travel tiffin. Here is the simple cooking procedure. 
Making Augsburg Cheese Noodles
You Will Require:

• A pack of noodles
• 1 tsp of plain flour
• About 50g fresh cheese (grated)
• 2 tsps milk (milch)
• Salt and powdered pepper
• Blue cheese garnish will add to the taste!

Method:
1. Cook the noodles for about 5 minutes
2. Heat a pan and add flour, milk and some cheese. Stir until you get the sauce consistency.
3. Arrange the semi cooked noodles in the microwave dish.
4. Pour the freshly prepared sauce, salt and pepper according to taste.
5. Garnish with a layer of grated cheese and cook it for 10 more minutes.
The authentic german recipe is generally relished with golden fried onion rings.

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