Breaking the monotony…with Fish Biryani

I really look forward to weekends. I don’t have to wake up early, I don’t have to rush anywhere, I can just laze around at home if I want to all day long.

And then there’s good food on weekends. I mean we do cook good food everyday, but it’s just the regular stuff- rice, curry, veggies, daal, etc.. But on weekends it’s usually Pulav/Biryani, chicken curry or fried, sometimes mutton/pork.

Off late, we’ve been having chicken every weekend. And after having so much chicken during the Christmas/ New Year party season, I just don’t want to look at another piece of chicken anymore.

So to break the monotony, I decided to make Fish Biryani. Because I love Biryani 🙂

I used:
Half the recipe mentioned here
Pomfret fillets (2 pomfrets)
Excluded fennel seeds

I had it with Raita made of plain yoghurt, cucumber, tomato, coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies.

I tried this recipe for the first time and I am already so in love with it, this ones for keeps.

Mumbai Food Blogger’s Meet – Potluck dinner and learning about Street Smart

When Foodies meet there is bound to be good food involved and a potluck is even more so exciting. Everyone gets a dish or two and we all share it like one big happy family. So when Rushina invited me, I was raring to go! Another big reason being this time it was hosted at the A Perfect Bite cook studio and I’ve been longing to go there for sometime now.

The cook studio is like a dream kitchen that inspires every cook.

With state-of-the-art equipment, ingredients from far and wide, admirable trainers and the always smiling and genuinely helpful staff, this place offers an experience that goes beyond just teaching you how to cook.

A Perfect Bite cook studio was started and is managed by the ‘perfect couple’ Rushina and Shekhar.

Rushina and Shekhar with the APB Team

This time the Foodies came together for a cause. Street Smart, India is a fund raising group that partners with restaurants, the funds raised are then given out to NGO’s that have difficulty raising funds on their own. This is not done throughout the year, only during the holiday season i.e. between Nov 1st – Dec 31st’ 12.

The model works something like this:- You go to the Partner restaurant and pay for your meal. An extra fixed amount (may be Rs.5 or Rs.10) as decided between the Partner restaurant and Street Smart, India is charged per meal and included in your bill. You can opt out of it. The money collected by the partner restaurant is handed over to Street Smart, who in turn give this to the NGO’s. Street Smart also audits the NGO’s on the usage of funds. All details regarding Funds collected and utilized will be put up on their website to ensure transparency.

Allan D’Mello and Aditya Malhotra of Street Smart, India.

The lovely Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal

Rushina – http://rushina-mushaw-ghildiyal.blogspot.in/ and http://a-perfect-bite.blogspot.in/

L to R: Amrita, Rithika, Megha, Pushpa.

While I had met Megha and Pushpa before, I got to meet Amrita (of #GlamFood) and Rithika for the first time.
Amrita – Life Ki Recipe
Rithika – Vegan On The Prowl
Megha – I2Cook
Pushpa – Papad Chai

food bloggers

Nonchalant Nikhil, Chef Clinton Cooper and Harini were also present.
Nikhil – Nonchalant Gourmand
Chef Clinton Cooper – Food Bites Back
Harini – Tongue Ticklers

Vinda Dravid

Vinda – Lett’uce Eat

The Mumbai Food Bloggers met after quite sometime. Although I missed some of them, I got an opportunity to meet a few new members and eat a lot of good food. About the food, I’ll let the pictures do the talking! 😉

Pizza getting ready.

Foccacia

MIrchi Pakoda

Achari Chicken Bharta

Sautéed Sausages and potatoes

Khandvi

Vegan Pizza

Quinoa salad

Beetroot and Corn Salad

Chicken Curry

Thai chicken curry

Au gratin

Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

Cheesecake

There were a few more on the list. Nikhil had got Tom Yum Soup and Harini brought Roasted cherry tomatoes, baby carrots & red bell peppers soup. Unfortunately, I do not have the Pics to put up.

I took a few pics before I gave up and started drooling instead 😉

Pics credit: Suvajeet Duttagupta – Lucid Illusions

A Perfect Bite Cook Studio
Web: http://www.apbcookstudio.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/APerfectBiteConsulting
Twitter: @APBCookStudio

Street Smart, India
Web: www.thestreetsmart.org.in
FB: https://www.facebook.com/StreetSmartIndia
Twitter: @StSmrtIn

Mumbai Food Bloggers
FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mumbaifoodbloggers/