Special Children Day Menu at Shraman, The Ashok at 499/

New Delhi: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's love for children is celebrated today as Children's Day in India. This 14 November Shraman at The Ashok offers a special kids menu to all children.

So come one and all and grab the offer. From yummy Shraman Sandwich and Pasta in Chef special sauce, mouth watering vegetarian snacks.

With the special focus on perfection, Mr Banan, the man behind success and popular chains like Sagar Ratna and Swagath, brings the same passion to its vegetarian venture “Shraman” at the Ashok.



A visit to the diner will not only be a feast for your taste buds but also for your eyes.

About Sawath:

In 1986, Mr. Banan started the first branch of Sagar Ratna in the quite market of Defense colony in New Delhi with a seating capacity just 40. With hard work and a die-hard resolve and commitment for achieving excellence in every task undertaken by him, Mr. Banan single handedly built his chain of restaurants brick-by-brick never giving up despite hardships encountered.

With its many cultural influences, it’s a place that offers a varied selection of cuisines to satisfy your palate. Signature dishes like Saundhi Paneer Tikka, Shraman 56 Bhog, Paneer Lazeez, Dal Shraman, Gatta Curry, Jodh Puri Mirchi Paneer, Vegetable Lohla Puri, Sabzi Balluchi and Shraman Punch will leave you craving for more..

The popularity of Sagar Ratna continued to grow in geometric progression and within a short span it spread its wings and waves far and wide. Today Sagar Ratna has established its presence throughout the National Capital Region (NCR) through company owned branches and beyond NCR through Franchisee outlets.

It is a testimony to its popularity that even today Delhites still throng to its Defense Colony branch and patiently wait for hours together to get a bite of the authentic South Indian cuisine.

Read the rest of this entry

Foodhall presents Italian Food Festival

New Delhi,November, 2014: This November, give your taste buds a treat and explore the diverse range of Italian food, as Foodhall, the ultimate foodies paradise is all set to celebrate the different flavors of Italy. Italian cuisine has always been known for its garlic, its olive oil, and it is all about simplicity and chefs rely on the flavor of some ingredients rather than elaborate preparation to bring out delicious dishes.

Italian cuisine offers a whole world of ingredients--fresh seafood, seasonal veggies, cured meats, beautiful cheeses, savory herbs--prepared in ways from simple to elaborate. Foodhall is all set to impress food lovers with the widest variety, a packed program of demos and all sorts of pairing possibilities under its innovative arcade. Whether it is Pasta, Antipasti, Pizza, cheese or Patisserie, Foodhall has the best of the diverse cuisine of Italy waiting for you.

Putting together the first course of a meal has never been more fun. Choose from a range of delicious dips - sundried tomato pesto, aglio olio, and the delectable smoked aubergine caponata to name a few. Paired with fresh and crusty breads - bruschetta, ciabatta, focaccia, pesto rolls and panini bread, they are guaranteed to get your taste buds tingling. Add a platter of cheese- buffalo mozzarella, scarmoza, provolone, and another of cold cuts-prosciutto, salami, mortadella and you are all set to treat your guests to a sumptuous start to their Italian meal. Ofcourse, you can wow them even more with a selection of black and green olives, capers, and artichoke hearts. For those who prefer a light start to their meal, opt for salads in a jar, the new introduction at Foodhall. Whether it is caprese or panazella, the delightfully layered salads are sure to hit the spot.

Pastas are synonymous to Italian Cuisine in India. Where people are aware of only two to three varieties, Foodhall this month has a range of pastas available at their demo counter such as Spinach fettuccini, Roasted Butternut squash ravioli, Herbed Potato Gnocchi, Classic Spaghetti, Zoodles (zucchini pasta) and many more. Moreover , Foodhall offers a special gluten free pasta . Choose from a wide range of delicious pasta sauces to make mouth watering pasta dishes at home.

When it comes to Pizzas, Foodhall has an array of delightful ingredients to make the perfect pizza that will take you to a lovely café in Rome. That’s not all, pampering your pizza craving will now get easy as Foodhall introduces Chilled pizzas. These pre – packed semi baked pizzas just take a few minutes to be ready.Take a pick from Margherita Pizza , Mediterranean Pizza , Smoked Chicken and Caramelized Onion Pizza or the Pepperoni Pizza.

Olive oil is essential to Italian cooking and Foodhall has the widest range of this cooking medium, be it the garlic infused olive oil, basil infused, chilli infused olive oil and so on.

That’ s not all, for this Italian Food Festival, Foodhall has new additions to the patisserie such as Lemon ricotta,Tiramisu in a jar and Fresh berry cannoli.

The FMCG section is stocked with all the products that have a connection with Italy or are from Italy. From Pasta,Vinegar, to spices, fruits, vegetables , rice available at Italy like risotto, Foodhall has it all.

So head to Foodhall and disocver the different flavors of Italy through out the month.

Read the rest of this entry

HYATT Introduces the Hyatt Culinary Challenge 2014

HYATT Introduces the Hyatt Culinary Challenge 2014
A unique Initiative from Hyatt Hotels in India and the SMILE Foundation

To emphasize Hyatt’s focus on its rich culinary heritage, Hyatt Hotels in India has introduced the “Hyatt Culinary Challenge 2014 - people cooking for people”. The challenge is slated to become an annual event, with the inaugural season commencing on 31st October 2014, across select Hyatt locations in India.

In New Delhi, the preliminary round of the competition will be held, 3 p.m. onwards on the 1st of November, 2014 at HYATT REGENCY DELHI.
Bhikaiji Cama Place, Ring Road
New Delhi, India, 110066

Says Aseem Kapoor, General Manager Hyatt Regency Delhi & Area Director For North West India, We are glad to be a part of such a unique initiative put together by Hyatt® hotels in India – the Hyatt® Culinary Challenge 2014. An endeavour that so wonderfully encourages passionate food lovers from the Corporate scenario in Delhi NCR to execute their culinary skills in a fun and interactive platform of the sort.

Hyatt India Culinary Challenge preliminary rounds will be held across Hyatt Hotels in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Raipur, Ahmadabad, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad from the 31st of October 2014, onwards and the finale will be held at Hyatt Regency Delhi on the 22nd of November 2014.

Speaking on the occasion, Harleen Mehta, VP Sales Operations, Hyatt South Asia said, “The Hyatt Culinary Challenge is an endeavor to bring together people to celebrate their passion for food and make a difference to the community while doing so. We are delighted with the overwhelming response from the participants and look forward to doing more such events over the years.”

According to Vikram Singh Verma, COO, SMILE Foundation, “In order to bring some real and permanent changes in the lives of the most deserving children across India, members of the civil society need to be involved proactively in the process of development. We are overwhelmed by the support from Hyatt India and hope for continued collaboration in the future to see lasting impact in the upliftment of our local communities.”
The Hyatt Culinary Challenge will bring together individuals from the corporate realm on a common platform where they will showcase their culinary expertise and passion for food in a unique culinary event. Each participant will be paired with a child from the SMILE foundation, Hyatt’s partner NGO in India and they will execute a recipe of their choice for the judges. The corporate winner from each city will compete at the grand finale in Delhi in November 2014.

Read the rest of this entry

Who will you hug today?

If you have noticed a puzzling rise in the amount of hugs going around you, it is because today is the ‘Hug a Vegetarian Day’. As the name literally suggests, it is the official day for hugging vegans and vegetarians or, if you are an herbivore yourself, for receiving them. It is an annual event happening on the last Friday of every September, validated and supported by PETA.

The online food delivery marketplace foodpanda( www.foodpanda.in) listed 10 of our beloved celebs -from curious philosophers around 500 BC to the coolest icons of the red carpet- to surprise and inspire us.

#1
Name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi)
Occupation: Indian spiritual and political leader
Country: India

Not to our surprise, Mahatma Gandhi was born a vegetarian. Born into a vegetarian family, lived in a vegetarian country, and belonged to a vegetarian faith. Regardless of his hereditary, Gandhi was a vegetarian by choice. He believed the only reason to be vegetarian was a moral one.

As a Hindu, he envisioned the soul of God within each being. He identified himself with all that lives, and felt compassion, pity and a brotherhood with all. Gandhi believed that humankind must follow a path of non-violence, non-abundance, and merciful living, for life on this planet to sustain itself.


#2
Name: Sir Paul McCartney
Occupation: Musician, member of The Beatles
Country: United Kingdom

The former Beatle-member introduced a line of frozen vegetarian meals under his wife’s name, Linda McCarthey, in 1991. Similarly, he has said the 1942 Disney film Bambi inspired him to take an interest in animal rights. "You look through a lot of these great stories - Dumbo, his mum is quite badly treated […] A lot of these classic stories, through their efforts, kids - as I once was - have grown up feeling it's a bad idea to be cruel to animals."

#3
Name: Amitabh Bachhan
Occupation: Actor, producer, singer, Television presenter 
Country: India

The legendary Indian film actor likes simple things in life and so like simplicity in his food. Being the hottest vegetarian of B town, he has been named the hottest vegetarian celebrity three times in the past by PETA.

#4
Name: Natalie Portman
Occupation: Actress
Country: United States

Portman became vegetarian when she was eight years old. In 2009, she went a step further and followed a vegan lifestyle. The actress refuses to wear fur, feathers or leather. In 2007, she also launched her own vegan shoe line for “Te Casan”.

#5
Name: Narendra Modi 
Occupation: Prime Minister
Country: India

Narendra Modi, the current and the 15th Prime Minister of India was born in Gujrat. Modi, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat state from 2001 to 2014.He follows a vegetarian diet and likes Gujarati snacks like Bhakhri. He follows ascetic lifestyle and regular yoga exercises to keep himself fit.

#6
Name: Bob Marley
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, Guitarist
Country: Jamaica

Marley's spiritual beliefs led him to follow a vegetarian diet emphasizing "Ital" foods. 'Ital' is employed throughout Rastafari jargon as a way to emphasize the oneness and unity of life. Ital food promotes a healthy mind, body, spirit, and environment. It is as fresh as possible, free from additives, preservatives, and other chemicals; and in most cases dairy free.

#7
Name: Shahid Kapoor
Occupation: Actor
Country: India

Shahid Kapoor began his career by working in several music videos and television commercials. The actor has been a great promoter of vegetarianism and believes that being vegetarian is a lifestyle change and something that comes from a sense of responsibility. He won the title of PETA Asia’s Sexiest Vegetarian Man for 2011.

#8
Name: Ellen Page
Occupation: Actress
Country: United States

Our rising star from 2007’s hit movie Juno has been named alongside Jared Leto PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2014. Page took to twitter to share her concerns over what she sees as the cruelty of the meat, dairy, and egg industries.

# 9
Name: Anne Hathaway 
Occupation: Actress
Country: United States

Our sexy cat woman was not able to decide whether to be vegetarian or not for a long time. Latest news are that she is back off the meat and fish since the filming of The Dark Knight Rises in 2012. In order to be able into her snug Catwoman cat suit Anne switched to a vegan diet. Well done, Anne! We can clearly see the perks that came with it.

#10
Name: Jared Leto
Occupation: Actor
Country: United States

Last but certainly not least, is this year’s winner of PETA’s sexiest vegetarian celebrities’ competition: Leto is an Oscar-winning actor, sexy rock star and… vegan! He has been a vegetarian since boyhood when he decided to switch to a vegan lifestyle just a couple years later.

Read the rest of this entry

Fasting and its Benefits

To go back to the history of fasting, the practice of fasting is many centuries old. It has been described in the Bible, in the old temples of Greece, Egypt and all Mediterranean countries, the sick were treated with the help of fasting. It has also been used to treat chronic diseases since ancient times.

People in so many countries have practiced fasting for the benefit of religious, moral, political and health causes. In case of India Mahatma Gandhi can be quoted as a person who has lived this. It is only since last few years people started believing that food is very important to maintain energy and fitness levels.

Fasting is not limited to humans alone, animals also fast when they fall sick or when injured even during normal conditions also. Fasting for the animals is of greater importance and a necessity for their survival. Some times during drought or other climatic conditions animals have to remain without food for so many days in such conditions they are capable of protecting their life without taking food for so many days.

For more than one hundred and fifty years health promoters and naturopaths have used fasting as a means to improve health and reduce illness and there are also thousands of testimonies across the world to prove this fact also. Only those who have little or no knowledge of fasting and its importance oppose it.

People who are conscious of their mental and physical well being should not ignore fasting, as this is an important means to improve health, provided you know when and under what conditions you should start and stop fasting and when you practice it under the guidance of capable and experienced guide.

For more details on fasting and its benefits please refer the book "Fasting a unique remedy for a hundred ailments".

Read the rest of this entry