It means the brass urn used to boil water to make tea in Russia.
Cafe Samovar did just that. An iconic 50 years old Cafe. A little veranda with tiny chairs and tables overlooking a garden. Great food, fresh fruit juices, samosas, kheema paratha rolls and botis, a variety of light meals enjoyed by people from various walks of life. Painters,Writers, Actors, Directors, Lawyers, Students, Media people. Most started their career here. Some like M.F Hussein, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan went on to become celebrites. The list is endless, the stories same.
We spent our days in Cafe Samovar, our second home. Its owner Mrs. Usha Khanna made us feel that way.
She loved the elderly folks as friend and the youngsters as a godmother. She spoke to all, shared their joy, their sorrow and advised them if they asked for it.
It was nostalgic to see her walking in the cafe for the last time . A feeble self from the robust lady we once knew. the same smile the walk slower.Thanks Mumbai Mirror for that lovely photograph of Mother and Daughter.
Today the Guardians of our Mumbai City have displaced us from this home. We deserve better. Every city has an iconic eatery, we have lost ours. Cafe Samovar along with many other fine eateries has been shut. No we can't shut it. We have to request the Guardians of this City for a Cafe Samovar, if not in the same place elsewhere. Surely the City has some space left for a few tables and chairs to satisfy a creative group that just wants to relax after tiring duties or bite into a light meal during lunch hour. Is our request so difficult to comply with?
I visited Cafe Samovar on Monday 30th Mar 2015, which happened to be the 2nd last working day for Cafe Samovar. My husband and I had spent some beautiful moments before marriage, we came here to recreate that. Outside, there was a long queue but people waited patiently chatting with unknown faces as if they were old friends. Inside folks were ordering all the food items they had enjoyed over the years. Managers and waiters patiently served the hungry crowd striking conversation, trying to remember the old days. Nobody was pushed to leave their tables in a hurry to accomadate the waiting crowd outside.and the waiting crowd did not complain. Thats what Cafe Samovar was all about.
As I salute this eatery and Mrs. Usha Khanna. I share a recipe of the famous Kheema Paratha enjoyed by many.
This recipe is not exactly from the kitchen of Cafe Samovar, but I have trusted my taste buds and think it to be very close to the original.
Ingredients:
- 500 gms Mutton Kheema.
- 2 medium onions.
- 2 large tomatoes.
- 1 tsp salt,
- 1/2 tsp sugar.
- 2 tbs worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbs red chilli sauce
- 1tbs ginger garlic pastes
- 1 tsp garam masala.
Method:
- Mix Kheema with worcestershire sauce, chilli sauce, ginger garlic paste and garam masala.
- Keep aside for 30mins.
- In a vessel heat 2 tbs oil.
- Add finely chopped onion and cook till pink.
- Add chopped tomatoes,sugar and salt and cook till tomatoes are pulpy
- Add Kheema mixture cook stirring intermittantly till kheema is tender, do not use water, as the stuffing has to be moist but not runny.
- Your stuffing is ready
Dough:
- 2 cups of Atta.
- 1/2tsp salt.
- Water to knead.
- Make a soft dough good enough for paratha.
Method:
- Make 2 small balls of dough and roll into two seperate rotis.
- Take one roti and spread kheema on it keeping 1/4 inch outer layer free of stuffing.
- Place the second roti on top and press down to seal the paratha.
- At this point you can gently roll your rolling pin over the roti to make it flat.
- Take care to see stuffing does not spill out
- On a hot tava roast it with minimum oil
Serve as they do in Cafe Samovar with mixed achar, pudina chutney or their signature gur imli chutney with raw onions chopped fine.
Lets pray we can eat that Kheema Paratha at Cafe Samovar some day.
Friends, never leave hope.
----------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment