Thursday, 27 December 2012

Veg restaurants - serving the Indian flavours


With the decline in consumption of meaty treats in the world, veganism has become the hot new trend prevalent. With numerous health benefits and flavoursome taste, a vegan diet has become the novel lifestyle people love. In India, restaurants serving vegetarian cuisine have always been existent on every street since cows are considered a scared animal worshipped by many. People refrain from killing animals due to religious values. Since killing is prohibited by religious institutions, people have turned towards vegan lifestyle. In foreign lands, this trend has just started gaining momentum. To battle the carving for meaty treats, restaurants have started condoning non-vegetarian delicacies. The idea is to create awareness about the disadvantages meaty treats provide health wise. Daily consumption of meaty treats makes the human body feeble and weak. In the long run, people tend to suffer from various lifestyle diseases.

Veg restaurants have created a trend in the culinary world and have transformed and re-defined the meaning of healthy living. These Indian restaurants have emerged to be a family favourite. They incorporate the needs and requirements of each family member. It is a tradition to dine out once a week in every Indian family. People prefer these veg restaurants because they serve nutritious food and do not compromise on quantity and quality. These restaurants have their fan club and customers do not seem to get enough of these eateries. It is a difficult task to cater to everybody’s needs. These Indian restaurants have taken the culinary skills a notch higher and make the task much simpler. These eateries are located on all hotspots therefore accessibility is not an obstacle. The ambience and the mouth watering spread make these restaurants a consumer friendly place.

Vegetarian restaurants are the crux of a flawless culinary experience because they unfold diverse flavours that increase the hankering for food. The staff hired at these restaurants are instilled with the traits if humility and humbleness. Customer satisfaction is the main objective and the staff does not compromise on anything with regards to their customers. The seating arrangement is adjusted as per the customer demands. Moreover the chefs tend to cook the delicacy as per the needs of the consumer. If the consumer requires less salt in his dish then it is prepared in the similar manner.  People refraining from indulging in sweet treats are offered something else instead of the dessert.

Veg thali is an extensive platter that is represented by numerous delicacies. This platter is arranged and designed meticulously and the chef diligently presents this visually appealing dish. The thali is an eye pleasing delicacy and toys with the customer’s mind to indulge in this lavish spread.  The thali represents a feast Indian style. As the meal progresses consumers tend to enjoy every morsel because it is an outburst of flavours. Such precision in flavours, accompanied by the vast knowledge about herbs and spices makes this dish more appetizing and luscious.

Indian restaurants have been gaining popularity all over the world due to its sipid quality.

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Indian food restaurants - the best place to taste local flavours


Every cuisine is known for its exemplary tastes. Foodies tend to savour flavours of every cuisine because of the unique preparation styles. Culinary skills cannot be innovated however can be improvised. Chefs all over the world have been honing their culinary skills to present the customer with some explicit and luscious delicacies. Food aficionados and critics tend to have acute knowledge about food and related subjects. They are able to point the flaw in every delicacy. Thus they have a clear notion about the cuisine that fits their appetite well. Their unique tasting sense makes them a chef’s delight because it is not the quantity of the food they are concerned with but with the aesthetics.  

Food aesthetics increase the craving and hankering. People yearn for more because the presentation of food seems mouth watering at restaurants. Many times people love eating a particular dish at the restaurant but shun consuming it at home. This is because of the difference in culinary skills adopted by the restaurant and the household cook. There is a vast difference between cooking styles practiced by chefs and household cooks. The chefs hone their skills at a regular basis. They are knowledgeable about different condiments, their usage and proportions. On the other hand, a household cook is trained to prepare traditional dishes and the cooking style is mundane.

Indian food restaurants have been springing up at every nook and corner of the country. In fact these Indian food restaurants have been gaining immense popularity overseas too. Wayfarers and travellers love indulging themselves in different types of cuisines. It is the experience they want, therefore choose local delicacies over popular continental dishes.  Street food maintains the local flavours with exact vigour and people love indulging in these treats with gusto. The Indian thali is the most popular delicacy that has savoured by all the Indian communities. Thali is a huge steel plate that has Rice, Roti, three vegetable side dishes and a sweet treat. There are different vegetarian thalis relished by one and all. The most popular are Gujarathi, Maharastrian and South Indian. Travellers are invited to taste an outburst of flavours with this vegetarian thali. Likewise there is a non vegetarian thali as well. The only difference is that the vegetarian dishes are replaced by non-vegetarian dishes.

Health is an important concept that concerns every person. Stress tends to stimulate the release of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable in nature thus they hover in the body with the intention of harming the internal organs. They target the immune system because once the immune system is destroyed the body will have no protective shield. They keep on attacking the immune system until it slips into dormancy. The cardiovascular system is invaded. Once the immune system becomes active again it starts destroying white blood cells.  The body loses control and succumbs to various lifestyle diseases. To avoid these medical consequences and urgencies, doctors reiterate consumption of Indian vegetarian food, which represents a proper balanced diet.

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Traditional Food Restaurants and Online Media


India is the subcontinent of classes. Be it the rich, the poor or the ones uniquely in the middle, when it comes to food everybody goes back to the traditional palette that they’ve been brought up on. For the North Indian breakfast is an ‘Aaloo ka Parantha’ and for the coconut lover from the South it is the “Dosa, Chutney and Saambaar” that satiates him/her in the morning. In many cases, these cravings are reversed. For example, for those living in cities it now easy to obtain the food of their choice by simply visiting or ordering from a bevy family restaurants that have sprung up in the past decade or so. Many of these family restaurants specialize in a particular type of cuisine while others offer to go the whole nine yards and offer their customers a plethora of cuisines to choose from.

Even though there has been an invasion of sorts by western food chains; of the local restaurant scenario in India, traditional food has not lost its appeal. Even the burger chomping youth will give a traditional parantha, thepla or a dosa a higher preference that most of the junk food outlets out there.

A lot of people, especially in the middle class segment of the society, choose to celebrate small occasions in the family like a pay hike, the purchase of a new car or simply a good grade scored in school by one of the children. It is at moments like these that these families like to visit a venue that makes lets them eat together as a family and in most cases the food that suits the occasion is traditional food. The aforementioned family restaurants are the very places that make this possible for such families.

However, there are certain restaurants that extended their services to more than those of a typical ‘family restaurant’. Such a restaurant manages to acquire a liquor license and call itself a ‘family restaurant and bar’. This way it can cater to both families and people who want to drink or people who want to have both experiences. In many such restaurants, there are different sections for those who visit with families and those who’re simply there to drink.

These family restaurants, till now used to operate with an old school philosophy of simply making as much money as possible. When these restaurants started out, there was less emphasis on building customer relationships and more on getting in more and more customers. This however has now changed. A lot of these restaurants have started creating their profiles on online platforms that help them garner consumer ratings. Some of these portals are www.zomato.com, www.burrp.com etc. These portals help these family restaurants share other patrons’ feedback, help patrons rate them and in some cases even share their menus.

Since some of the early movers in the ‘family restaurant’ category gained a lot of traction by leveraging social media and other internet based services, there are many others who’ve now entered the technological domain to acquire new age loyalists. Some of these restaurants have now started offering apps specific to their offerings that can be downloaded onto your smart phone. These apps are not only free and branded with the restaurant’s brand identity but also help patrons with the menus, the delicacies, the specials, and the respective price and in some cases the calorific value of each item on the menu!

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Tiffin Service as a Modern Convenience


Everyone knows Mumbai as an island home to advertising and films; what most people might forget is another business that is quickly finding its own little niche with enough profits to keep it growing from an unorganized sector to one with better bearings and structure with the metropolitans. This is the world of tiffin services that first began with homemakers around the large city especially in the suburbs cooking in their homes for a large section of professionals or students living away from home.  It was a bunch of women who cooked at home and decided to parcel them in tiffin carriers that could be pedaled to homes close to them. Soon people began endorsing these nutritious and cheap meals that didn’t taste of oil so much as it tasted of lentils.

Now this might seem to be a trifle desultory in terms of growth but most people have only begun to tap into the potentials associated with this sector. Today there are a large number of vendors and there is quick reshuffling of domains into more subcultures with carriers serving different cuisines to different clienteles. There are tiffin boxes that even cater to film stars, and they might call themselves something else but is essentially a derivative of the same concept. High dietary meals that cut down on calories, which are attractive to stars and business professionals alike with little or no time to cook themselves breakfast.

Tiffin services also cater across the different regions and cultures that India is home to like Bengali meals for the community. There is a lot of money in cooking and now this is on its way to evolving into a culture synonymous with a largely hectic schedule that most city dwellers are exposed to. With this sector opening up credentials, there have been forays even by IT professionals quitting lucrative jobs to start Dhaba services that extend to the tiffin box genre of serving people home cooked meals at home. Of course in a city like Mumbai and Delhi most things are home delivered and so why not food? This is the business model that these small entrepreneurs work in and they have managed to evolve into grabbing a clientele that more than keeps them solvent.

Many people even argue that the tiffin carrier business has helped women entrepreneurs come into their own with FICCI endorsing this new trend as a guaranteed empowerment vehicle for women to exercise more than household planning. But this isn’t a domain left entirely to women with a number of commercial establishments now claiming their own slice of the business. The benefits of starting a business like this are the small investments and the potential client base that is indeed large enough to cater to. Of course the possibility of ordering from a fast food chain and other restaurants is always available but a home cooked meal and a cheaper rate definitely make tiffin box meals a source of nutritious food that is bound to satiate your pangs with a much smaller pinch on your wallet.

Thursday, 20 September 2012

Tiffin box - A useful product


Certain states have become the industrially prominent places where people belonging to different regions come to acquire work. Leaving their homes and family behind, the hectic schedules utilise a major portion of their daily routine and they are left pining for simple home cooked meals. In order to compensate for the dearth, Tiffin services have been established to provide these employees with nutritive meals. Most of the time, these services are started off by housewives who indulge in preparing food by themselves and sell it to daily customers for a minimal price. These services provide all round meals at reasonable costs which makes it a win win situation for both the parties involved. The service is provided to corporate offices and individual clients as well.

Commercially, this business is the best way for women to balance a career in cooking as well as look after the errands of the household. The cooks have a basic idea of providing quality meals for substantial prices in order to maintain the fluidity of the business. This bright idea has helped a whole lot of housewives to diversify their attention onto more relevant issues like making money.

The Tiffin box is their weapon of mass supply. This product contains layers of individual boxes piled over each other to accommodate all the preparations without mixes, or losing its individuality. The tiffin is constructed to preserve the freshness quotient and retain the moisture and textures of the food preparations. The box is formulated in such a way that the humidity in the atmosphere does not soak up the warmth of the dish. This service is unique and differs from catering services in more than one way. For instance, caterers provide food preparation in a customized format while these services have a personal touch to the proportionality of the ingredients. The customer can request the tiffin maker to reduce the contents like spice or oil as per requirements, and it is implied from the next meal onwards. While in catering, this is not the case. These services deal with quality or quantity, thus their importance has increased on a commercial level as well.

Since Tiffin services are prepared at home in the resident kitchen, the level of hygiene is far superior as compared to restaurants. The gravy or mixtures are prepared on the spot to preserve its freshness while in restaurants and other cafes, the gravy is prepared far before time losing a lot of nutrition in the due course. Since quality is intact and the freshness is maintained, number of employees in various corporate fields as well as certain bachelors indulge in these services to compensate for home cooked meals. With gourmet meals packed up in a tiffin box, people find it easy to carry it with them. Delivery services are also provided that enhance the mobility of the business. This business is upcoming as people are availing its facilities in bulk. The reason for their success is the personalized touch to food preparation and prompt delivery mechanisms.

Wednesday, 19 September 2012

Enjoy wholesome cuisine with Indian thali


Off late, the definition of food has undergone a slight change. Initially food was a medium of survival or one of three essentials to live, but lately if the dish is not visually appealing and aromatically enticing then the customer fails to indulge completely. A famous chef once quoted, the first morsel of food is psychologically visualised in the mind before it even reaches the tongue. Hence emphasis is given of the visual representation of food and the flavours follow simultaneously. The key to preparing wholesome food is the knack of blending the right proportion of seasoning with the adequate amount vegetative or meat ingredients. In India, innovation and creative is exhibited towards creating large portions of meals filled with bags of flavours. Indian thali is one of the few meals prepared that caters to the needs of an indulgent customer by providing small portions of food on a single platter. Typically this dish contains 3 vegetable preparations accompanied by two three curries and yogurt and a desert to complete its arrangement. On the first look, it appears to be overwhelming but the balance of flavours creates the actual magic in the mouth.

Indian food restaurants embrace the culture in their food, service and ambience. These restaurants combine the spicy textures with subtle flavours to bring out unique flavours. In India, prosperity is depicted by its food and a customer is regarded as a guest, so the portions are large and meant to be shared to enjoy it thoroughly. The idea of utilising the different herbs and spices is to create distinctive textures without overriding the original flavours. The food preparations are rich in ingredients like clarified butter and oil to bring out the zing of the ingredients. Worldwide as well, Indian food has been accepted as one of the most popular cuisines. The complex flavours are not a resulted of complicated procedures, in fact the simplicity of the process and the understanding of the ingredients makes the dish shine. Indian food has its perks no doubt, but sometimes can be a tad bit over the top. Indulgent ingredients like ghee or oil must be limited to minimal in order to actually enjoy its benefits. In order to enhance taste, over usage of these ingredients can lead to obesity and other lifestyle diseases.

The Indian thali is an example of culture and tradition. Since ancient times, food was served on a single platter to the kings and in households as well so that a wholesome meal can be enjoyed. This dish requires immense knowledge of flavours in order to create the right balance of textures. A thali preparation differs from community to community but the basic concept remains unchanged. Indian restaurants have utilised the authentic ingredients to create preparations that depict the culture of the country. The true ethnic feel and vibe of Indian culture is exemplified in their environment as well. Indian cuisine is tough to master but once the infusion of flavours is understood then learning the cuisine becomes much simpler. 

Tuesday, 18 September 2012

The how and why of the caterer’s service


Weddings and religious functions are prominent events that are carried out to celebrate various occasions. When people get together, food is always the prime component that binds them together. Good food is always remembered, no matter what the occasion, as it is one of the vital components of the event. To cater to such large gatherings, caterer’s services have come into existence. These services comprise of several chefs and cooks to prepare large portions of food, as per the requirements of the organisers. This service has always been an essential requirement at wedding receptions, christenings, and even birthdays, because majority of the people attend functions with the hope of enjoying good food. The trend of categorising the event is largely dependent on the choice of food and the hygiene factor during its preparation. If one of the two is absent, then the entire event suffers the brunt. The key is to maintain a balance between health and hygiene without compensating the flavours on the whole.

Catering services can be utilised as a platform to starting a business or setting foot in the restaurant industry. This is one step away from establishing one’s own restaurant or deli. The reason being, if people enjoy the food then at some point they will wish to indulge in the same flavours; using this as an advantage, the caterer can convert these services into a restaurant. The main idea is perspective, once the idea is clear in the head, then visualising it in reality becomes a whole lot simpler and more practical. These services produce abundant amounts of food at a very retail price, making it a client’s first option. The remembrance of the event is dependent on the food preparation so the client chooses a well renowned caterer to provide the service. This industry has become a booming business owing to the tremendous increase in the demand. Most of the occasions are symbolised by food and catering facilities, hence it becomes vital to preserve the prominence of the service by providing hygienic as well as tasty food.

Caterer’s service is not an easy occupation; as it requires a large amount of manpower, initial investment and chefs that understand the flavour of the ingredients. This job requires consistent contact with clients in order to preserve its popularity on the commercial level. The power of the spoken word can hamper or build the business; hence quality services have to be a crucial thing to be kept in mind by the caterers. Catering service strives on people’s needs to interact socially, hence the more social the area, the number of these services increase subsequently. These services have become an eminent affair owing to the human characteristic of man being a social animal. These catering companies have become a global phenomenon as many people are either investing in the business or enjoying the perks of the service. Either way, its popularity is increasing and is bound to continue owing to the surge in its demand.