Newly opened- Goan Tiger Restaurant and Bar – Candolim Goa.

I am pleased to inform you all, that Sheryl and Francis the previous owners of Tiger Bar, Candolim have now opened a new garden restaurant. Their new place is called GOAN TIGER. Located after Highland Holiday Resort, Candolim. Next to Flambé Restaurant.

 Open now all day for: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Serving Indian, Goan, Chinese and continental.

Lunchtime review of Great-E-Punjab Fort Aguda Road Calangute Goa

Great-E-Punjab is a recently opened restaurant, near Jambhleshwar Temple, Fort Aguda

Road Calangute. Menu offers veg, non veg, Punjab, South Indian, tandoori and seafood.

Service was okay, staff seemed pleasant and surroundings, clean and tidy.

What we ordered

Veg Kofta Masala, Mixed Veg Masala and Veg Biryani.

Veg Kofta Masala-Rupees 170/£1:94/€2.19/₽155.20/$2.40 2 medium sized koftas lightly browned on the outside, but oh my! So light and fluffy on the inside, they just melted in your mouth. Then the gravy sauce. Tiny shards of garlic that just gave an extra something to the masala gravy.

Mixed Veg Masala- Rupees 170/£1:94/€2.19/₽155.20/$2.40 Plenty of vegetables and paneer I a medium, spicy gravy.

Veg Biryani- Rupees 120/£1:37/€1.54/₽109.55/$1.69 more often than not, restaurants use cheap rice, that personally I find to stodgy and sticky for my palate. This was not the case today due to basmati rice being used for a lighter taste. I loved the addition of star anise and cinnamon sticks. Something I always add to my own biryani when cooking at home.

TOTAL SCORES

Staff and ambience: 2.5/5

Food: 5/5  4/5  4/5

Overall score 3:9 Red Hot Chilies Certainly worth a revisit.

Lunchtime Review – Husna Dine family restaurant Panjim Goa

MR R and I have frequently passed Husna Dine. Obviously a popular place, as always seeing people coming and going. So it will come as no surprise, Husna Dine has been on my- to review list, for some time.

Husna Dine, is a small, simple restaurant, but I always say, I’m not bothered about plush surroundings as long as the food is good. And it was.

Upstairs, there is an air conditioned section.

The menus covers a wide selection: Indian Chicken, Mutton, North Indian, Seafood, Goan South Indian, Tandoori and snacks. All reasonable priced.

What we ordered:

Veg Diwani Handi, Bhendi Masala, Rice and 2 Roti

Veg Diwani Handi Rupees 160/£1.85/$2.59/€2.33

Oh my goodness, this was a never ending bowl of sheer delight. A rich creamy curry made with cashew paste, onions, tomatoes and cream. A sweet and mild taste.

Bhendi Masala Rupees 160/£1.85/$2.59/€2.33

Boy this was darn good. The tangy gravy lifted sweetness of the okra

Rice Rupees 40/£0.46/$0.56/€0.50

Roti Rupees 15/£0. 17/$0.21/€019 Great rotis.

Ample size portions for two and value for money.

THE SCORES:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 3/5 

STAFF SERVICE 5/5

HYGIENE 3.5/5 I only give this score as the restaurant was a worn, almost certainly from the amount of customers passing through. But as far as food wise, i.e. cutlery, food and staff I found no issues.    

FOOD 5/5 5/5  

OVERALL SCORE 4.2 Red Hot chillies 

Would I go again? Oh yes, now on my places to eat in Panjim list.

Husna Dine family restaurant

EL-Dorado Plaza

Municipality Market

Panjim

Goa

Jo’s Homemade Tandoori Chicken

If you have been reading my restaurant reviews, then you know MR R is a big Tandoori chicken fan.

As it is monsoon here in Goa, his favourite restaurant, for what he claims the best tandoori @ Ryan’z Bar, Candolim, Goa, has closed for a while, why the boys take a well-earned break. Consequently he is craving a tandoori fix.

Therefore, today I pulled out my homemade recipe and he was one happy little bunny.

Jo’s Homemade Tandoori Chicken.

Serves 2

GET WHAT YOU NEED

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

FOR THE MARINADE

3 cloves     

1 Tsp coriander seeds     

1 Tsp cumin seeds    

Seeds from 3 cardamom pods     

1 small onion     

¼ Tsp ginger & garlic paste         

 ¾ Tsp turmeric      

½ green chilli seeded     

½ Tsp Garam Masala      

1 Tsp Kashmiri paprika     

 Salt & pepper

4 Tbsp. plain yoghurt

NOW MARINATE!

1.     Firstly, score each breast, several times with a sharp knife.

2.     Put the chicken into a freezer/food bag, add the lemon juice. Seal the bag and shake well, so all of the chicken is coated in the juice.

3.     Put the bag into a bowl, and pop into the fridge for 1/2hr.

While you are waiting, now make the spice mix.

1.     Roughly chop onion and put into a processor/grinder with the all the spices, ginger & garlic paste, green chilli, salt and pepper. Blitz for a little while then add the yoghurt. Grind until smooth.

2.     When the ½ hr is up, tip the spiced yoghurt into the bag with the chicken. Seal and shake well.

3.     Put bag back into bowl and into the fridge for a few hours min (You can even leave it in the fridge for 24 hours, if you want to prepare it the day before.)

Why do I keep stressing, about putting the bag back in the bowl? Cross contamination of raw chicken is dangerous.

A.    This means never use anything that has come into contact with raw chicken on cooked foods without washing them thoroughly first. This includes your hands, chopping boards, knives, kitchen cloths, dishes and plates, barbecue tongs, basting brush. 

B.    Never wash chicken. Water or spray-back from the tap is one of the easiest ways of spreading the bacteria.

C.     Cover raw chicken well and store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge to lower the risk of any raw juices potentially dripping on other items in your fridge.

D.    Use an antibacterial sanitiser on any kitchen surface or fridge space that happens to come into contact with raw chicken.

                     Better to be safe than sorry!

NOW COOK

1.     Preheat oven, 200/400/gas 6

2.     Transfer the marinated chicken to a roasting tin, or oven proof dish. Make sure you get all that marinate out of the bag.

3.     Cook for 25-30 minutes. However check the chicken is cooked right through first.

4.      Preheat the grill and place the chicken still in the tin or dish and grill until crispy.

5.     Serve with a cucumber Rita and salad.  You can also serve on a bed of rice or noodles.  Chips, and/or Indian bread.

For the Rita, you can make as much as you want. It’s just yoghurt and shredded cucumber.  I tend to use 6 Tbsps. yoghurt and ½ a shredded cucumber for 2.

Salad: I prefer to shred: cabbage, white radish, carrot, beetroot and chopped spring onions mixed together with apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.  

Lunchtime review Krishna’s Café - Panjim Goa

I was contacted by Krishna’s Café via Instagram, to sample their Famous Mumbai’s Amul Pav- Bhaji.

On this recommendation, Mr and I scheduled a visit during our shopping trip to Panjim, on Monday.

First Impression

A bit of a Subway vibe going on, with the light wood tables, steel chairs and colourful murals. Downstairs are a four tables, with more seating upstairs. Both areas were clean, tidy and well maintained.

The menu is small, but offering a good selection of snacks, sandwiches, thali, Bhaji, Mocktails, juices, ice cream and hot beverages.

All the staff, very pleasant and attentive.

There is also a toilet and hand wash area upstairs, again clean and looked after.

What We Ordered

Mr R and I decided to share two meals. Krishna’s Veg Thali and as recommended, Mumbai’s Amul Pav-Bhaji.

Mumbai’s Amul Pav-Bhaji Rupees 80/£0.93 /€1.04 /$ 1.16  

A Pav-Bhaji began a fast food lunch for Mumbai’s mill workers in the Mid-eighteen hundreds. Now served in restaurants and street carts around India and aboard.

There are many variations of Pav -Bhaji, but it is essentially a spiced mixture of mashed vegetables in a thick gravy and served hot with a soft white bread roll.

If you worry about your cholesterol, then I suggest to choose the plain Pav-Bhaji. This dish is seriously a butter overdose. A warm bread roll soaked in butter. As I type I can almost feel it dribbling down my chin. The bhaji itself, was very tasty. Not spicy just pure indulgence of a buttery decadence. Combing the accompaniment of chopped onion, really enhanced the flavour for me. 5/5

Full Veg Thali Rupees 110/£1.28/€1.43 /$1.60  

Thali is actually the name of the metal plate it is served on. The idea of this dish is, it combines all the six flavours for a balanced meal. Sweet, salt, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy.

This dish, rocked my world. Three Sabzi (vegetable curries and pickle)

The paneer (Firm cottage cheese) and mutter (pea) was awesome. A good portion of paneer and peas, in a superb, thick gravy.  Pepper sabzi was scrummy.

Two potato fritters, in a light batter. Just right for dipping!

A good size portion of rice, 2 chapatti, 2 poppadum’s and yoghurt. The sweet custard and fruit was very good.

On a negative point the dal was wishy, washy. In fact it wasn’t nice at all, and skimpy salad. Nevertheless because I loved everything else, the flavours and value for money, I am still going to give the thali 5/5

THE SCORES:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 4/5  STAFF  (I give this only because, in the downstairs eating area was an electric fly catcher on the floor. It put me off a little hearing it cissing. Although I noticed it had been removed as we were leaving. )

SERVICE 5/5

HYGIENE 4/5  (Again the fly catcher. )

FOOD 5/5 5/5   

 

OVERALL SCORE 4.6 Red Hot chillies 

Would I go again? Oh yes, will certainly be back. Great food, good service and my favourite- value for money.

Thank you Krishna’s Café for inviting us.

Krishna’s café

18^th June Road Panjim

Next to HDFC Bank, opp Yes Bank

https://krishnas-cafe.business.site/

Instagram @Kirshnascafe.panjim

Lunchtime review Vihar pure Veg Udupi Restaurant Panjim Goa

Another great little find in Panjim, Vihar Pure Veg, near the head post office in Panjim.

A small, clean, tidy restaurant offering a great menu of Indian vegetarian delights. The staff were gracious and proficient.

From where I sat I could see into a well-equipped, hygienic, catering kitchen, observing a competent kitchen staff. What really thrilled me, was to see two lady chefs.

When the food arrived it was piping hot and unmistakably freshly made to order.  As for the taste, could not to be faulted.

There is also an a/c section upstairs.

Veg koplhapuri Rupees 140/£1.58/€1.76/₽126.82/$2.01/₴52.73

Very tasty, full of fresh veg and paneer, perhaps not as spicy as I like it.

Palak Kofta Rupees 150/£1.69/€1.89/₽135.87/$2.15/₴56.50

Loved, loved, loved this dish. Creamy sauce. The kofta was a good size, tasty and perfectly made. I wanted more kofta!!!

Steamed Rice Rupees 70/£0.78/€0.88/₽63.41/$1.06/₴26.36 More than enough for two, nice and fluffy.

THE SCORES:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 5/5

AMBIENCE 3/5

STAFF    5/5

SERVICE 5/5

HYGIENE 5/5

FOOD 5/5 5/5 5/5 

OVERALL SCORE 4.7/5 Red Hot chillies 

Would I go again? Oh yes, will certainly have Vihar on a regular to eat venue when in Panjim.

Near Head Post Office, Patto Panaji Road, Mg Road, Panaji, Goa 403001