Frozen and Healthy - TKC Foods

Like most discoveries, the technique of flash-freezing food to keep it fresh was discovered by accident. Clarence Birdseye is credited with inventing the techniques which lay the foundation for modern freezing techniques in the 1920s. But the popularity of the heat-n-serve format of frozen foods started with the now famous, Swanson TV Dinner concept in 1954. It promised a dinner in 25 minutes with "hearty slices of moist tender Swanson turkey, with whipped sweet potatoes and golden Swanson butter."  

Fast-Forward to today where we have innumerable brands and varieties of dishes to chose from, but the question remains, how healthy is frozen food? TKC Foods aims to change that perception with products that have healthy ingredients and calorie counts to help you eat right, while not compromising on the taste. I received a package from them with a sample of some of their products and here is the review.

1. Fudge Brownie Delish: There is nothing to beat the smell of freshly cookies/brownies being baked, and eating them straight out of the oven. With these chocolatey brownie bookies, you can do just that. Pop the frozen cookie dough into your oven for 10-12 minutes and Voila! Fudgy, chocolatey and the crunch of walnuts, simply delicious. Highly recommend this one.

2. Thin Crust Whole Wheat Peri-Peri Chicken Pizza: Having made various variations of pizza at home, with both store brought pizza bases, and even doughs from scratch, I wasn't expecting much. But the thin crust pizza from TKC Foods is definitely my favorite item from their entire lineup, simply because it tastes as almost good as a freshly-baked wood-fired pizza. Have a look at the picture and tell me if you feel it looks anything like those horrible, thick-based wheat monstrosities in the name of pizzas we are used to getting at stores across the country. This one is a must try!

3. Desi Tandoori Vegetarian Patty: Frozen Patties is a segment most companies get right, and while this version here has healthy ingredients such as Jackfruit, broken wheat, carrots, etc, i t is ultimately deep-fried which kind of tones down the overall health quotient of it. I would say that it delivers what it promises, but isn't as good as I thought it would be. I should probably try their non-veg version too to get a better picture. They also sent 2 large multi-grain burger buns which were absolutely gorgeous.

I also tried their Italian herbs chunky pesto as a dressing for my salad and also with some spaghetti, and it tasted great with both. 

Having tried several variations of frozen food over the years across brands and countries, I would say that this is a brand I would closely follow, as they expand their products across categories. Apart from tasting really good, their products focus on the health aspect of it and good quality ingredients which is a definite plus and I am definitely stocking up on some of their items for days when I don't feel like cooking or ordering in.

For more details, you can order in or pickup items from their nearest store at the link here : TKC Foods

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Exclusive Pottery For the Urban Indian

When was the last time you stopped to think about the origin of that the cup of tea you are sipping from or the lovely ceramic plate that you had your lunch on? COVID-19 has affected us all in different ways, but it has also given me time to introspect on things such as the environment, eating healthy, art and the resilience of human nature. One profound impact this had on me was to try source products locally as much as possible and encourage local artisans. 

I have always felt that anything that you buy for your home should have connection with you. Maybe, a childhood memory, designs inspired from a series you like, a color or pattern that you can associate with or something, that is so whimsical that it appeals to the child in you. And, often, those patterns are closer home than you might think. 

Pottery in particular has been dying a slow death in India due to lack of support from the general population and the government. Have you heard of Gujarat's Khavda whose origins date as far back as the Indus Valley civilization, or Nizamabad's Black Pottery which uses smoke fired with rice husks in enclosed kilns with the resulting soot giving the pottery its distinct shiny black surface? These regionalized techniques are just a few examples of the myriad pottery traditions that are prevalent across India, but are thoroughly underappreciated.

I have curated a series of cups, mugs and plates from ExclusiveLane which are made in collaboration with artists from all over the country. With intricate designs and vibrant hand-painted colors,these pieces are just exquisite. And whats more, each piece is unique because they are hand-made and has variations based on the artisan who worked on it. Check out these lovely collections.

Moroccan Blossoms:

Inspiration: Also known as Morocco's Blue City, Chefchaouen, situated in the North-West of Morocco in the Rif Mountains, was built as fortress in the 15th Century. Architecture enthusiasts will marvel at the Jewish-inspired blue-tinted buildings, octagonal mosques and Spanish ruins. Blue and White cobbled streets lined with vibrant pots with lush green plants and colorful flowers are another unmistakable feature of this city.

Dominant Color : Blue and White

Should Appeal To: Travelers, History Buffs, People who love Blue

Symbolism: Blue is a calming color that symbolizes stability, inspiration, wisdom and serenity. The floral patterns embedded in a hierarchical structure represent the architecture and flowers of the blue city of Chefchaouen.  

Banyan Marvels:

Inspiration: Situated around 25 kms from Bangalore, in the Ramohalli village, 'Dodda Alada Mara' (loosely translates to 'Big Banyan Tree') is a single Banyan tree that is spread over 3 acres of land and is more than 400 hundred years old. The Banyan (bargad) is a highly venerated tree in Hinduism due to its ability to survive and grow for centuries. This tree symbolizes the creator 'Brahma', as it represents longevity and eternal life. It is also called Kalpaka Vriksha or the wish full filling tree, in the Atharva Veda. It is also said that Lord Buddha gained his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

Dominant Color: Tea Green

Should Appeal To: People fascinated with Hindusim/Buddism, People who like green

Symbolism: The leaf of the banyan tree is said to be the resting place for Lord Krishna. The Banyan tree itself represents immortality and also symbolizes the Holy Trinity or Trimurti (Bark:Lord Vishnu, Roots:Lord Brahma, Branches:Lord Shiva). The color green also represents safety, harmony, freshness, growth and endurance.

The Hut Collection:

Inspiration: Depiction of a fishing village in Pondicherry. It is just another day in the village with the sun beating down on the rows of huts with triangular roofs and symmetrical windows,   with the palm tree providing some respite from the heat. The markets are abuzz with vendors selling their fresh catch while the areas are lined with fish being dried to be made into pickles and dried fish. 

Dominant Color: Multicolored

Should Appeal To: Those who like quirky things, appeals to your inner child

Symbolism: The vivid colors, the bold brushstrokes and the typical huts that we used to draw during our younger days remind us of the playfulness of our youth. It represents a time when things were simpler, and indeed the rustic nature of the art appeals to your inner child.

Please note that all products shown above are made in collaboration with artisans from all over India and are hand-painted with hand glazed studio pottery which is fired at 1200 degree Celsius. To know more, visit their website at ExclusiveLane or their Instagram page here.

About ExclusiveLane: ExclusiveLane was born out of a love of Indian Handicrafts in 2012 with the goal of bringing exclusive handicraft products to the urban consumer. By introducing and promoting these products in the domestic and international market, ExclusiveLane aims to uplift the economic condition of artisans who work hard to preserve the heritage of the Indian handicrafts industry.

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Kalchi - Curry Spreads and Cutlets - Reviewed

I received a sample of a few of Kalchi's Curry Spreads and Heat-N-Eat cutlets, and pleasantly, there was no obligation to write about it, so I did!

Part 1: Curry Spreads

I tasted two of these and was really surprised by the utility of these spreads. Over a course of two weeks, I had them cold and hot, as sandwich spreads, a side along with my meals, smeared in rotis to get rolls also as toppings for nachos.

Makhani Paneer : Ah, paneer! It was afternoon, and I was feeling too lazy to cook something, and then I recalled this one sitting in my fridge. A dollop of butter, and a bit of cream and a healthy serving of this spread went into the oven. A minute and a half later, out came a delicious, sizzling hot bowl of paneer makhani. Lunch was served! And yes, the paneer was sufficiently soft and the flavours were spot on!

Chettinad Chicken: The first time I had this, I was blown away by the authenticity of the flavours that were preserved in spread form. Spicy, tangy and chicken chunks in a lovely gravy, that I heated for a couple of minutes with a drizzle of olive oil.Smeared this on c a couple of whole-wheat rotis and just like that, my dinner was ready!

Part 2: Heat N Eat Kebabs

Vegetable Shami and Chicken Cutlet: These came well-packaged and in nice leaf-like shapes. Sizzzled a couple of each in a pan with butter and put them into a couple of sandwiches. The Chicken Cutlet was slightly underwhelming, as the taste of the chicken was way muted and it tasted more like a soya chaap. The Shami Kebab was a better version, and the slight punch of flavours in the mixture shone through after adding a dash of lime.

Verdict: I am definitely getting the spreads again, given their incredible utility and authentic taste. The kebabs, not a fan!

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Thermomix - The World's Smallest Kitchen Robot

It was early on a lazy Sunday morning as we headed out to the office of Thermomix India to get an overview of this product, its capabilities and in the hope of reducing efforts in the kitchen. It turned out to be quite an interesting experience.

Thermomix was created in 1971 by German Innovators Vorwerk, and it has undergone several design and functional iterations to the current machine, which is the the Thermomix TM5. Here is a quick overview on what it can do, and a few others that it cannot:

Can Do:

• Cook, Steam, Stew, Boil : It can cook rice(or even pasta), steam dim sums, stew your favorite vegetables or meats and even boil stuff like chickpeas, 
• Blend, Crush, Grind, Chop, Puree: Blend Smoothies, crush peppers or ice, grind coffee beans, chop onions or make a smooth tomato puree.
• Mill: Make your favourite flour at home from rice, millet, maize or any other grain of your choice.
• Weigh, Knead, Whisk : Weigh each ingredient easily and keep taring to get precise weights always, knead dough for breads, pastas and pastries or whisk eggs for an airy mixture.
• Emulsify: Emulsify salad dressings, cosmetic products and even mayonnaise.
• Grate: Grate hard items such as chocolates, cheeses, etc.

Can't Do:

• Bake: You cannot use Thermomix to bake items
• Roast: You cannot roast items. While it can boil/simmer ingredients, dry roasting cannot be done,
• Fry: For ex., If you would like to caramelize onions, then you need to use a cooktop.
• Freeze or Dehydrate: You cannot freeze ice-cream using Thermomix.  For making an ice-cream, you can use frozen ingredients for blending. Similarly, you cannot dehydrate items using Thermomix

While the above points will give you an idea of what the Thermomix is capable of, an important point that is not immediately apparent is using a combination of 2 or more of its functions to cook a dish of your choice. So this device actually comes with an inbuilt set of recipes which are pretty easy to flow, and stepwise instructions pop-up on the screen to guide you through it.  And you can buy additional books/chips for a style suited to your tastes.

There are some features that particularly appealed to me. Thermomix is able to maintain the temperature of ingredients for a specified time. This is immensely useful, if you would like to make chocolates and you want to keep your couverture at a precise temperature before you temper it. There are inbuilt control points to ensure that you don't overbeat/overcook a particular ingredient, which is really helpful when you start using this machine.

Some of the dishes we made using the Thermomix, are as below:

1. Hummus: Having made Hummus at home a bunch of times, I was interested to see how Thermomix can simplify the process. From start to end(excluding prep. time for things like boiling chickpeas), a deliciously creamy homemade hummus was ready in 10 minutes flat. Apart from the time factor, what impressed me was that just 1 vessel was used to make this dish, and the weighing feature made sure we had ingredients at the right quantity, so once you have a recipe tested, you can never go wrong. Impressive!
2. Spaghetti In Marinara Sauce: Another relatively easy recipe to make at home, but Thermomix did this just quicker and more efficiently, The sauce is cooked as per your preference and once it's simmering, just add the pasta whole, right out of the package! The first time I have seen that in a machine, and it was perfectly cooked, Al Dente!
3. Fresh Fruit Ice-Cream: Chunks of frozen pineapple, coconut cream, a bit of jaggery/sugar and all these are churned together for a few minutes and magic happens. Creamy, homemade,  health and oh-so-delicious pineapple ice-cream was ready to eat, without any mess whatsoever.

These were just a small selection of dishes that we witnessed in action. Thermomix is a an beautiful piece of German engineering and while it is capable of making a lot of dishes almost effortlessly, the question remains.

Is it worth it?

Honestly, there is no one answer that fits all. There are a few scenarios where I feel it can definitely help.  Thermomix is capable of replacing a lot of equipment in your kitchen, including your Mixer-Grinder, Blender, Bread-Maker, Steamer and so on. This is especially a good fit for working couples, who do not have a lot of time to prepare elaborate meals, but still want good-tasting food. Less messy and completely efficient!

Thermomix is also a boon for those who don't want to spend time on complex recipes, or who don't know too much about cooking, but just want to explore new options/recipes without doing a lot of research. Just select a recipe, and follow easy step-by-step instructions to get a consistently good-tasting recipe! Add to that, excellent after-service support, high-quality manufacturing and components and an extremely reliable core.

It is time to automate your cooking. Let Thermomix do the hard part, while you let your hair-down and have a ball with your friends, family or colleagues!

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