Sagar Vegetarian Restaurant

A few days ago I went to review Sagar Restaurant, which specialises in Pure South Indian vegetarian cuisine. The menu allows you to explore other regional veg dishes especially infamous chaats from Mumbai!

My initial impression was that it was lovely.  The decor was simple, clean yet striking, a quiet and calming space, very zen like to be able to eat in peace and comfort. Traditional music was floating in the air which definitely added to the ambiece of the restaurant. 

The staff were extremely attentive, helpful and knew their dishes well. I fancied the Idli Sambhar, my mum who had accompanied me, was recommended to have the Medu Vada. 

These starters were truly incredible.
The idli were like soft clouds that just melted away on my tongue. The silky texture of onion in the sambhar and its consistency was spot on!

The medu vada, simple  crispy battered fried doughnuts, not greasy but cooked to perfection, was stunning when dipped into the coconut chutney and drenched in the tasty sambhar!

I was also pleasantly surprised having ordered an orange juice that I received a freshly squeezed sweet and tangy oj.

For my mains the Traditional Udapi thali was getting prepared and the chilli & onion Uttapam for my mum.

The thali is one of their best sellers and I can totally understand why and I agree! Presented well and all the individual dishes were named and shown to me by Shridhara the manager. 

I found all the elements of the thali complimented each other.  A mixture of curries, dry and saucy. Two types of dal to go with the heaped mountain of rice. The over generous puri/flatbread binded each portion together.

My favourite in particular had to be the dry cabbage bhaji. A soft, salty, crunchy dry curry. Extremely tasty and so very moreish! The creamy yogurt based coconut curry was amazing too!

“Rasam…ummmm!” Was how my mum described the thin almost transparent soup.  It was to her liking due to the chilli factor. It hit the back of your throat with a warming sensation!  I just loved how she reacted.

My siro, a sweet semolina pudding had started to disappear mysteriously.  Yes you guessed right, my mother couldn’t help herself.  She said she never eats siro unless it’s homemade but the look of Sagar’s siro tempted her.  I too loved it. Sweetly balanced, the cashews were toasted and cardamom notes stayed on my palette ~ Divine!!

Overall I can’t rate this restaurant enough.  I have to admit so far it is THE BEST SOUTH INDIAN restaurant I have been to and I have been to a few!

There’s no surprise that there are two more branches of Sagar in Central London.

If you fancy traditional South Indian food, good service and great prices, Sagar is the place to go!

I would sincerely like to thank Shridhara and Jay Kumar for awesome service and the management for having us over for the review

Please feel free to visit their website http://sagarveg.co.uk/ and try this yummy restaurant for yourselves 
Until next time, much love D x

If you would like me to review your vegetarian restaurant dishes in the UK, please feel free to message me on dhmakani@gmail.com

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Butter Bean, Kale & Tagliatelle Soup

A wholesome soup. Filled with some much goodness and the Kale just takes it to that super soup level!

INGREDIENTS

1 tin 400g butter beans drained
100g kale
100g tagliatelle
50g crushed tomato
800ml water
1 garlic clove crushed
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste

METHOD

Place all the ingredients into a soup maker or in a saucepan on a medium heat to simmer.  Cook through until soft. 

Baby Sweetcorn Soup

I have a wonderful soup maker gifted from Tefal but I fail to use it regularly.  I love clear soups with chunky vegetables happily floating away in a tasty seasoned broth.

I feel SO satisfied after having a bowl or two and am now absolutely adamant to make more soup for myself!  This is a very simple recipe I put together today.  I used my soup maker machine but it can be cooked all in a saucepan as a one pot soup dish.

I hope you enjoy this spring time soup.  Here’s to more soups being made!

INGREDIENTS

8-10 baby sweetcorn chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 celery sticks sliced
1 litre water
2 cubes vegetable stock
2 handfuls of small pasta shells
Salt to season
Garlic and chilli granules optional

METHOD

Place all the ingredients into a soup maker or in a saucepan on a medium heat to simmer.  Cook through until soft. 

Serve with a little grated cheddar on top and some fresh bread

The Indian Onion Soup

Forget the french onion soup! For a second.  Take it to the next level, spice it up, masalafy it and transform it into the Indian curried onion soup.  You are bound to have these ingredients in your pantry , so no extra shopping!   A quick fix with some fresh crusty buttered bread or even some khichdi (rice and split mung bean dish)

I had a large sweet white onion and in contrast a red onion to use for this soup.  However I will never really understand why a red onion is a RED onion ? It is very much purple/magenta in colour?…any how…I love onions, I eat them raw in salads, find them delicious paired with a mature cheddar cheese sandwich!  I just love them!  Most of my cooking will involve onions in some way or another but today we are focusing solely on the onion.

This soup can be cooked in under 20 to 25 minutes.  Is very tasty, slightly sweet because the onions are caramelized in the spices and then you get a hint of heat on your palette at the very end from the red dried chilli flakes.

I know all onion lovers will adore this and it may even convert non onion lovers to loving them.  Hope you have a wonderful day…I’ll see you soon! Much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

1 large white onion sliced
1 large red onion sliced
1 tsp sunflower oil
Pinch of cumin seeds
Pinch of asafoetida
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp cumin/coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp garam masala
1 tin finely chopped tomato
Salt to taste
1 cup water

METHOD

In a large saucepan, heat up the oil on a medium heat with the cumin seeds. Once the oil starts to sizzle are the onions and mix well

Add all the seasoning and spices making sure all the onion is coated. Cover, reduce to a low heat and cook for 5 minutes

Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes with the cup of water, stir well, bring to a boil and gently simmer for 15 minutes

Serve up with a dollop of natural yoghurt and fresh bread

#Tefal Easy Soup..So Excited!!!

Last week, Tefal UK got in touch with me and asked if I would like to sample their “Easy soup” homemade soup machine?

I jumped at the chance, especially having done a recent interview with Soupe du jour in London’s Soho. The Foodie place to be! Interview coming up soon…

I started off with a simple yet tasty asparagus soup for Spring with potato for body. Garlic to add oomph and boy did it do that!!!

So so happy with my Tefal Easy Soup..fresh soup at a press of a button. What more could I ask for?! Thank you Tefal UK

Lots more soups, broths and gazpacho recipes coming up soon here @ Shivaay Delights.

INGREDIENTS

3 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
Bunch of asparagus chopped
2 garlic cloves peeled
600ml water
1 vegetable stock cube
1 tsp ground cumin powder
Salt to taste

METHOD

Add all the vegetable ingredients along with the seasoning into the Tefal easy soup

Pour over the water, close the lid, turn on the power and simply press the creamed soup option and then the start button

In 23 minutes flat you’ll have this to dip some fresh bread into…

Low Calorie Onion Soup

I was checking my pantry for which vegetables I had to make a soup today especially as it’s very chilly here in the UK and everyone seems to have a cold and sore throat.  My husband being one of them, however he is very lucky! because I happened to find two bags of onions sitting there untouched.

All I could picture was a soothing hot onion soup with lingering notes of garlic dancing through the sweetness of the caramelized onions.  I looked up a few recipes and noticed that mostly all used a lot of butter and beef stock.  So I decided to create a vegetarian onion soup and low in calories!  Win, win for me…ultimate flavour and a healthier option!  It’s cooking on the stove right now and I can’t wait to tuck into a big bowl with a little mature cheddar and bread…
Oops less of the cheddar! Forgot…meant to be a low fat meal! 😉

Hope you enjoy my version of a classic soup…much love, D x

INGREDIENTS

3 medium onions sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbsp low fat butter spread
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Sprinkling of sugar
1 litre vegetable stock

METHOD

Heat up the butter and oil in a deep saucepan, sauté the onions until soft on a low heat. Sprinkle with sugar and carry on cooking until caramelized, can take up to 15 minutes

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Add the garlic and cook through for a minute or two pour in the vegetable soup stock with salt to taste and simmer gently for 30 minutes

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Serve with some fresh baguette and cheese of your choice

Borlotti Bean Soup

Tasty, healthy and comforting…What else could you ask for in a soup?….

Shivaay Delights

I was thrilled to have been asked by Shruti @ Cooking With SJ to write my very first guest post recently. SJ and her blog are very much an inspiration to me and I am constantly learning from her. Thank you for asking me honey x

“A warming your cockles” kind of soup I’ve put together in this cold, wet weather we are having here in the UK. A fushion soup of Mexican bold bean and coriander flavours and the wonderful Italian pasta to add even more body to this dish! So easy to prepare and quick to make. An ideal supper with some crusty buttered bread on a frozen February evening!

INGREDIENTS

½ white onion sliced into crescents
175g tin of Borlotti beans drained and rinsed
A few handfuls of tiny pasta shells
400ml vegetable stock
½ tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed
⅓ tsp garlic granules
½…

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The Perfect After Gym Soup!

My younger brother came over today to spend time with myself and my 2 little boys. He had already planned in his gym session as the gym is close by. So I took this perfect opportunity to cook up a protein filled soup with plenty of vegetables and lots and lots of vegetable stock, for hydration and quinoa for protein.

The feedback was great, he found that it replenished his strength well and was a quick fix to fill him up but wasn’t too heavy. I found that it relieved my headcold really well. Most likely was the potent healing garlic, that works a treat for me everytime!

Give it a go friends and let me know how you get on…Have a beautiful day, evening…Much love, D x

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INGREDIENTS

1 large courgette grated
1 large carrot peeled and grated
1 clove garlic minced
½ cup quinoa
600 – 700ml vegetable stock
1 tsp dried coriander powder
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tbsp butter
2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in half a cup of water
Salt to taste
Chilli flakes to garnish optional

METHOD

Heat up the oil and butter together, gently place in the grated carrot and courgette into the deep saucepan.  Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until soft

Season with the coriander powder and salt.  Pour over the vegetable stock, cornflour solution along with the garlic.  Bring to a boil

Slow the heat down to a gentle simmer and stir in the quinoa.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Serve up hot with chilli flakes to garnish

A Parmesan & Sundried Tomato Loaf

Yesterday we came back from a weekend away, where we went to celebrate my cousin’s wedding.  I was so privileged to sit next to her and performing the role of Matron of Honour during such an important part of the Hindu wedding ceremony!  Thanks J! For the amazing opportunity…love you both J & C!

As we got home, I realised we had no bread in the house and the shops had closed for the day.  So out came my mixing bowl and bread ingredients and this is what I came up with…

The dough all mixed and kneaded, waiting to a well deserved proving rest

All proved, doubled in size and ready for the oven

Loaf of bread baked, sounds hollow, good crust…I’m happy 🙂

The crumb….

Recipe adapted from this “Bread Kitchen” recipe..have a look friends…

A Creamy Chapati Curry

Lunchtime yesterday was about using up food that I already had ready to eat! My husband discovered some chapatis and fancied them hot. I thought to curry them up in a creamy yoghurt sauce laced with garlic and chilli. I have watched my Mum make this wonderful dish when it was just me and her for lunch, when I lived at home. We both love tangy yoghurt and this spicy sour sensation really is something very enjoyable!

A light yellow silky sauce to accompany and soak into the pre cooked chapatis! A definite staple in our home when we have left over chapatis!

INGREDIENTS

4 pre cooked chapatis/tortillas torn into bite size pieces
4 tbsp mild natural yoghurt/greek yoghurt
½ cup water/100 ml water
1 large garlic clove crushed
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
pinch of dried red chilli seeds
⅓ tsp garam masala
⅓ tsp turmeric
½ tsp coriander & cumin powder
⅓ tsp chilli powder
⅓ tsp salt or to taste
Fresh coriander to garnish

METHOD

• Whisk the yoghurt and water together

• Heat the oil in a medium non-stick saucepan, add the chilli, mustard and cumin seeds along with the crushed garlic

• Once the seeds start to pop slowly add the yoghurt mixture, stir in the seasoning and spices and whisk on a low heat, throw in the chapati/tortilla and whisk

• Keep on a low simmer and stir to avoid separation of yoghurt. Do not boil just let the sauce warm through and serve with a sprinkling of fresh coriander