Masterclass with Chef Kunal Kapur at the Magnum launch

Known worldwide as the icecream synonymous with indulgence and royal for over two decades, Magum icecreams will finally be available in Kolkata. As usual Kolkata is delayed by almost an year as it launched in most other metros long ago. Nevertheless, better late than never. I was invited through KFB to be a part of the Masterclass being hosted by celebrity Chef Kunal Kapur and the pretty brand ambassador Soha Ali Khan. The event held at the Taj Bengal hotel had a very high glitz and glamour quotient.

Magnum icecreams are iconic, being made with pure Belgian Chocolate, the key point being the distinctive cracking sound on your first bite. We all got a taste of the icecream, while the not- so-much- a -chocolate-lover.ie. 'Me' chose the Almond flavour made of milk chocolate, there was also Classic and Chocolate truffle to pick from. Chef Kunal Kapur and Soha were both eager to keep the session as interactive as possible sprucing up with anecdotes and tales of their love for Magnum.

Chef Kunal rustled up a Magnum patishapta - his take on our quintessential pithe - crepes filled with a concoction of coconut, jaggery and milk solids. He stuffed his version of the patishapta with chunks of magnum icecream, nuts and berries.

The floor was open for the audience to ask questions if they had any and also to come up with their version of a Magnum Sundae. With limited options of just sprinkles and chocolate bites, everyone did manage to come up with something. Like we made this Magnum Excess Sundae! Pounded magnum icecream topped with chocolate bites! Overall it was a pleasant evening learning a little more about chocolates and icecreams and ofcourse meeting few fellow bloggers.

Starting March 1, 2015, Magnum Icecreams will be available in three delicious flavours - Classic, Almond and Chocolate Truffle in Kolkata. Wrapped in the brands signature brown and golden packaging each bar is priced at INR 90.
While I am not going gaga over its launch  as I am not at all into chocolate, its actually my  husband who is so looking forward to getting a taste soon. That said I am very happy that Kolkatans will finally get to taste the icrecream brand ,afterall we are a city who truly loves anything 'mishti'!
I also thank Edelman, Kolkata on behalf of KFB for making us a part of this glitzy event and for the mementoes!

 

Grilled Fish with Spinach - Weeknight meal ideas

 

 

Easy weeknight meal ideas is what I am forever scouting for. It saves my time and makes the man happy. Except for Tuesdays, for every single meal the man needs to eat non veg.There are times when I am totally out of ideas or the patience to produce something new. But thanks to the neighbourhood supermarkets , you are spoilt for choice. While I would mostly stick to buying fresh fish from my regular fish monger, once in a while something frozen comes in handy too. A pack of frozen Basa fillet is what caught my fancy on my last trip to the supermarket and scores of recipes started flodding my head!So I promptly grabbed the pack with the intention of cooking it up with some jazz. With winter just about to say goodbye, I wanted to use up the last batch of spinach from my kitchen garden. Teaming it up with the fish seemed like a fabulous option. So here's my recipe of Grilled Fish with Spinach.

 

Ingredients:

Basa Fish fillets - 4-6 pieces - You can use any other white fish fillet like bhetki

Olive oil - few tsps.

Fresh Parsely - a handful finely chopped

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

For the Spinach sauce -

Spinach leaves - 1 cup - finely chopped

Onion - 1 medium - finely chopped

Garlic - 2-3 cloves - minced

Cottage cheese /Paneer - 2 tbsp. - grated

cheddar cheese - 1 tbsp. - grated

Fresh cream - 1 tbsp.

salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Sugar - a pinch

Cherry tomatoes for garnish

Method :

Marinate the fish fillets with olive oil, salt ,pepper and chopped parsley. Keep aside while the sauce is being made.

For the sauce:

Heat a tsp of olive oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion and sweat it till transluscent. Don't brown it.

Next add the chopped spinach and cook covered till the water released from spinach dries up.

Add grated cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and sugar and give it a good mix.

Add fresh cream, remove from heat and keep aside.

Preparing the fish:

In a thick bottomed pan, brush a little olive oil. Place the fish fillets and cook for 2-3 mins on each side. Don't overcook the fish or it gets a rubbery texture.

Remove from pan and serve along with the spinach sauce. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and freshly chopped parsley.

Notes:

• I used Basa but any white fish fillet like bhetki would do just fine. Just keep an eye while cooking the fish so that u don't overcook. It takes very little time.
• I kept the sauce chunky in texture but you can puree it into a smooth sauce as per your taste. Just grind the sauce in a handblender and strain.