Just a coincidence but this morning I saw a write-up in the paper about this company that sells healthy, natural fruit juices. Apart from the fact that I was interested in knowing more, the name – Nutrotop Health, and more than that, the packaging caught my eye because it was familiar.

About a year back my neighbor had locked up and gone out of town for almost a fortnight, and though they’d stopped the newspapers and the milk, these little green and white packets were being left outside the door everyday. After watching them pile up from afar for 3 days I went to see what it was, and was pleasantly surprised because I didn’t know you could have fresh fruit or vegetable juice deposited at your doorstep. One clear instruction on the packets was “use within 7 hours”, so I threw the packets out. I did take down the telephone number to contact them though, hoping to know more, and maybe be good and neighborly and stop the delivery for a few days. As it happens, the number didn’t exist! and so the packets kept being dropped off, earlier than I wake up obviously.
I was sorely tempted to taste one – if I recall right it was carrot juice, but resisted.

Well here they are again. I see these things like signs – I’m SUPPOSED to try them! And at Rs.7 for a 100ml packet it doesn’t seem to extravagant. Probably cheaper to do at home, but well, I never do. Do you?
They offer, according to their site, * Wheatgrass * Carrot * Bottlegourd/Louki/Dudhi Bhopla * Bitter Gourd (Karella) * Tulsi * Beetroot * Aonla * Neem * Ginger Lime * Wheatgrass-Bittergourd Mix and fruits – * Pineapple * Mango * Grapes * Green Mango * Strawberry * Guava * Kokum * Papaya * Apple Milk shake * Chiku Milk Shake.

Must call them! More info when I do…..

Hadn’t had breakfast because my stomach had been acting up a bit last night. But by 10am I was ravenous, and just happened to find myself outside the newly opened Juice Lounge on Dhole Patil Road. I stopped in to look at their menu and finally ordered a orange-strawberry smoothie – ‘California Fun’. The menu said “All smoothies are blended in low fat yogurt” – sounded good to me.

9/10 marks to the smoothie, the only minus being perhaps that it took just too long. Though I’d ordered the regular serving, possibly because I was there alone that early and was carrying it away with me, I got a larger amount than I expected, very substantial though perhaps 69 bucks is a bit steep. On the other hand fruit is getting really expensive these days.
Must remember to try them out more often at home. I used to regularly before, and I’ve got some super recipes here, but lately, just gotten out of the habit.

We had Chef Venky offering to make us a lunch treat at work again last week. When he suggested the ubiquitous Anda Bhurji I can’t say I was very thrilled – I’m not a huge egg fan anyway, but everyone seemed to be quite pleased so Anda Bhurji it was. And then it was served up with hot buttered pav, and I must point out absolutely sizzling in oil, and very spicy because that’s they way most of us in this office like our food, but mmmmmmmmmm! it was awesome. And of course sinful. But then naturally.
Look out for the step-by-step photos.
This is incidentally a great last minute dish to rustle up when you run out of food in the fridge (give or take some oil, butter and chilies). Venky took about 25 minutes from chopping to serving, cooking for 10 of us.
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ANDA BHURJI ( MASALA SCRAMBLED EGGS ) Serves 6
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INGREDIENTS
6 eggs
4 onions chopped fine
2 tomatoes chopped fine
2 green chillies sliced into 4-5 pieces
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup oil (that was Venky’s amount. If I did it it would be 1/3 of that at most!)
1 tablespoon butter (!)
Salt to taste

PREPARATION
Fry the onions in all the oil till golden brown.

Add the chilies, fry some more.

Add the tomatoes and cook till tender.

Meanwhile beat up the eggs thoroughly. Add when the rest is fried through, along with the turmeric and chili powder, and salt to taste. Stir constantly.

Add the garam masala and coriander leaves.

When the egg sets to the consistency you like, – shouldn’t be more than 3-4 minutes, add the butter and coriander leaves just before you take off the stove, stir and take off the heat.

Serve steaming with hot. We had it with pav that was also roasted on a skillet with dabs of butter!