Monsoon Masti with Chef Shubham

One on one  with our very own Pastry Chef Shubham Paliwal on Monsoon Masti. 

Important cooking tips especially for this monsoon season

Monsoon with its arrival brings a refreshing feel and rejuvenating essence to life. Foodie lovers will like to cook fresh and hot soups during these rainy days. However we also need to take precaution while cooking to avoid any accidents.

• Wear appropriate footwear with solid support and slip resistant soles.
• Don’t be in a hurry, short steps, footwear with solid support and slip resistant soles will prevent slipping on wet floors.
• Avoid working on wet floors.
• Be very careful of contaminated water.
• Check raw vegetables carefully for worms, it is very common during the rain.

What are some special Monsoon desserts recommended by you?

Relish, simple yet delicious Chocolate Lava cake combined with hot coffee, a perfect dessert to enjoy during the monsoon season.

An innovative dessert recipe

Chocolate Lava Cake (2 portions)

Ingredients:

Butter - 75gm

Dark chocolate - 75gm

Eggs - 1 nos

Castor sugar - 22gm

Flour - 22gm

Method:

1. Melt 75gm butter and pour it over 75gm dark chocolate to make a smooth paste. 
2. Add 1 egg into the paste and whisk well. Later add 22gm castor sugar, 22gm flour and mix it well. 
3. Grease the mould with butter and dust coco powder into it. 
4. Pour the mixture of cake in the mould and bake it at 200^o C for approximately 10-12 minutes.

Secret behind a delicious dessert

Desserts have been deliciously adopted around the world by many chefs. The recipes of exquisite desserts exude uniqueness by incorporating elements to add different flavors.  For example, Chocolate Lava Cake can be made tempting by adding melting chocolate inside the soft delicious cake alternatively, savor the cake with mascarpone ice cream. 

Heaven on earth in our very own Heavenly Spa

In our busy lives, it becomes difficult to maintain a balance between work and play. Stress, pressure, demand are common words which are linked with many of us these days. We at Heavenly Spa offer an array of therapies to uplift guests mentally, physically and spiritually by engaging and stimulating each of the five senses, Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste, and Scent through a holistic approach to wellness.

The concept and philosophy of Heavenly Spa by Westin is to provide a sensorial experience in a serene environment designed to inspire and renew the spirit of our guests. Created to meet the needs of the Westin guests, Heavenly Spa by Westin provides authentic, memorable experiences based on unique treatments and quality products delivered with care by skilled therapists. We focus on giving our guest a complete renewal with healing therapies. Our spa therapist will customize your therapies to suit your lifestyle and requirement. Take a deep breath and White tea fragrance will fill your lungs and heart with peace and tranquility which will remain with you throughout your experience in the Heavenly Spa.

We invited our guest to name our Signature therapies on a social media website, Facebook. We were stunned to see accurate answers from many guests who have participated in the Heavenly Spa contest. As we all know, two signature therapies of the Heavenly Spa are Rollerssage and Heavenly Massage. The winner Ms. Rolly Sapru has won an experience to our Heavenly Spa therapy.  

A signature therapy Rollerssage combines the healing properties of semi-precious stones with the relaxing feeling of a Swedish massage to relief tense muscles. The smoothness and heat from the semi-precious stones, which are taken from around mother earth in which we live, give a euphoric sensation unique only to the Rollerssage treatment. The stones contain healing properties that can heal a wounded heart or ground one to the earth.

Relax, rejuvenate and energize yourself for another day with a signature Heavenly Massage that uses a heated herbal compress to relax muscles with essential oil blends which are massaged into the body. A multi sensory experience in relaxation is created through a harmonious balance of scent, touch and warm herbs. Back and upper shoulder concentration with the combination of Indian oil in a western technique, Heavenly Massage is a warm oil therapy with the warm compression.

We at The Westin Mumbai Garden City also provide In-room Spa treatments to our guest who want to experience a spa getaway in the privacy and comfort of their own room. The Heavenly Spa encourages our guests to embrace full-body nourishment with a special spa cuisine menu featuring energizing drinks, herbal teas, and a nutritious SuperFoodsRx™ menu.

Come embrace the calm and serenity with a feeling of being rejuvenated and revitalized. 

Enjoy Veggi Delights of the Shravan Season

Monsoon apart from rains also invites the month of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar. Shravan month has been derived from Hindu mythology. Shravan was son to poor and blind parents. He spent his entire life in sincere service, duty and devotion to his parents. This month is very auspicious for praying to Lord Shiva. Devotes worship Lord Shiva by fasting and prayers. People who are true believers sacrifice their urge to have non-vegetarian food by turning into vegetarians during the month of Shravan.

We at The Westin Mumbai Garden City recognize the importance of Shravan and modified our menu to tantalize the taste buds with delicious vegetarian food. Our Executive Chef, Ajay Chopra has shared his recipe of Shravan dishes keeping in mind the fasting season. Make fasting more appealing with the recipes below and share your views with us.  

SHAKARKANDI CHAAT

Ingredients

500gm shakarkandi-boiled, peeled, cubed

15gm chaat masala

10gm chilli powder

15gm cumin seeds-roasted and powdered
15gm rock salt
lemon juice-to taste
2 green chillies finely chopped
Coriander leaves chopped to garnish

Method of preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients together, adjusting spices according to taste and serve.

DAHI PUDHINA ALOO

Ingredients

180gm aloo (potatoes) boiled and peeled
15gm ginger-finely sliced
 5gm asafetida
15gm cumin seeds
10gm garam masala
20gm coriander powder
15gm salt
15gm chilli powder
15gm turmeric powder
100gm yogurt (curd)
3-4 green chillies
30gm clarified butter
30gm coriander leaves chopped

 Method of preparation

1. Peel potatoes and cut into cubes and blanched.
2. Heat the ghee, add cumin and asafetida. When the cumin splutters, add ginger and sauté till slightly fried.
3. Lower the flame add yogurt at a time, stirring vigorously until all of it is well blended.
4. Add garam masala, coriander, salt, and turmeric and chilli powder. Stir a few times until well mixed, add potatoes and green chillies and cook it for 10mins.
5. Add about 2 cups water, bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
6. Serve aloo dahi wale hot, garnished with coriander leaves.

SABUDANA KHEER

Ingredients

100gm Sago granules
 200ml Milk
10gm Cardamom Powder
50gm Sugar

100gm Water

Saffron for garnish

Pistachio for garnish (chopped)

Method of preparation 

1. Wash the sago granules and drain.
2. Leave aside for 10 minutes.
3. Loosen the sago grains when moisture is absorbed.
4. Heat water and add sago granules.
5. Bring to a boil. Stir constantly.
6. Slow down the flame and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Pour milk and bring the mixture to a boil.
8. Cook for about five minutes.
9. Add sugar and cardamom.
10. Keep stirring occasionally.
11. Cook till sago becomes soft but not mushy.
12. Garnish with saffron and pistachio.

KADDU KI SUBZI

Ingredients

250gm Pumpkin (cut into 1" cubes)

3 whole Dry Red Chilies

10gm Fenugreek Seeds

10gm Cumin Seeds

10gm Turmeric Powder

10gm Red Chili Powder

15gm Raw Mango Powder

15gm Sugar

50ml Cooking Oil

Salt to taste (saendha Namak)

Method of preparation 

1. Heat the oil in a flat pan. Add cumin and fenugreek seeds and fry until spluttering stops
2. Add dry red chilies and saute for half a minute.
3. Add the powdered spices and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the pumpkin cubes, sugar and season with salt.
5. Cook until pumpkin turns soft. Sprinkle a little water only if required.
6. Serve hot with aloo pulao.

ALOO PULAO

Ingredients

100gm Samwat Rice (also known as Parsai ke chawal)

30gm Ghee

10gm Cumin Seeds

2 Cloves

2 green Cardamoms

1 large Potato (diced in small pieces)

15gm Rock Salt (saendha Namak)

100ml Water

Method of Preparation

1. Heat ghee in a pan
2. Add cumin seeds, cloves and cardamom to the oil.
3. When they give off fragrance, add potato and rice
4. Stir-fry to a light brown color
5. Add rock salt ,and water
6. Cover the pan and let it simmer on low flame for about 15 minutes.
7. Garnish with green coriander

ALOO RAITA

Ingredients

3 no Potatoes (boiled & chopped)

100gm Curd

15gm Cumin Seeds (roasted and powdered)

10gm tsp Red Chili

Rock Salt, to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Beat the curd till it turns smooth 
2. Add chopped potatoes and mix it well 
3. Add roasted cumin powder and chilli powder to potatoes.
4. Add it to potato curd mixture 
5. Sprinkle rock salt to taste
6. Keep it in refrigerator and serve along with the meal

DAL STUFFED POORI

Ingredients

120gm Wheat flour

50gm Moong Dal

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

2 Cardamoms

2 Cloves

5gm piece Cinnamon

100ml water

Oil to fry

Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Rub 15 ml  oil into the wheat flour
2. Add 15gm salt to the wheat flour
3. Make soft dough using small amounts of water
4. Set aside the dough for 25 minutes, covered with a wet cloth
5. Soak Moong Dal  for at least one hour and grind to make a paste
6. Grind together red cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and keep aside.
7. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan
8. Add the Dal paste and the mixed masala, stirring constantly till the Dal is fried and the water is absorbed leaving it dry
9. Knead and divide the dough into 10 small balls
10. Make a cup with each ball and fill with the prepared Dal mixture
11. Seal by extending the dough over the filling
12. Flatten and roll it as a roti.
13. Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown
14. Drain and serve hot

SAABU DAANA TIKKI

Ingredients

100gm Sabudana (sago)

25gm Peanuts (roasted & crushed coarsely)

1 Potato (boiled, peeled & mashed)

5no Green Chilies (crushed)

Salt to taste (saendha Namak)

Oil to deep fry

Method of preparation

1. Wash sago thoroughly and drain excess water. Soak it for 2 hours.
2. Add all ingredients to it except oil. Mix well into a paste.
3. Keep the oil in a deep frying pan to heat. Moist hands and make small flat.
4. Slide the rounds in the heated oil on medium flame.
5. Fry till they are crisp and light brown in color. Serve hot 

Picture Perfect Monsoon!

With Monsoon comes the air of freedom, thunder of change, cloud of new beginnings and raindrops of happiness. As we drench ourselves in nature’s manifestation and realize the symphony of god’s creation, a feeling of tranquillity and bliss erupts. Sitting near the window, watching the city soak in the rain as the aroma of food entices the taste buds to fulfil your heart’s desire and make a dream come true.

Special moments and beautiful memories are created when you spend time together with your loved ones, when the weather demands you to take time off from your hectic lives or taking a break over a cup of hot tea. We at The Westin Mumbai Garden City wish to capture such moments at our special Monsoon theme brunch. We encouraged our guests to share their poetic side with us through ‘one liners’ about monsoon and food on our Facebook page. We were amazed to see the response, the world is god’s creativity and every human being is part and heart of that creativity. Imagination is the key and our contest was an avenue to showcase originality. Some of the wonderful one liners to reach the depths of your thoughts.

Chintan Vasani Have found my key to happiness. Pure Nirvana !

Suman Lakkimsetty Privileged to enjoy grandeur of nature along with widespread delicious food at Seasonal tastes...

Meena Chhichhia Burgers and fries,

They are the one that stifles my hunger cries...Smoothies and milkshake,

They all go great with a nice chocolate & rain...Ice cream and whip cream,

Why couldn’t I get you out of my dream?

Shyla Bhadwal The single line which will come to mind in such a situation is may this go on and on and on ....... and never end....ultimate heavenly bliss

With thick strokes of ink the sky fills with rain.

I pretend to run for cover but secretly praying for more rain.

Over the echo of the water drops, I hear a voice saying my name.

The sky is a bowl of dark water, rinsing my face.

I am a dark bowl, waiting to be filled.

If I open my mouth now, I could drown in the rain.

I hurry home as though someone is there waiting for me.

The night collapses into your skin. I am the rain.

Chintan Shah As the heaven cleanses the earth and the soul immerses itself in this sacred purification, my heart dances to the tune of delectable cuisines and my mind experiences a complete rejuvenation - A prefect recipe from God's kitchen.

The winner Ms Meena Chhichhia received a couple’s voucher to relish our Monsoon Brunch. Capture the moment this season, sync with your friends and family at Monsoon Brunch on 22^nd July 2012 at Seasonal Tastes from 12:30 pm to 4 pm. Do not forget to bring your umbrella as you will get soaked with monsoon delights.

Stay in shape with WestinWorkout® Fitness Studio

When we are away from our homes travelling on business, it is difficult to stay fit. With our WestinWorkout Fitness Studio, our guest can stay fit with state-of-the-art fitness facilities and floor to ceiling windows with scenic views offering an inspiration to run that extra mile.

Our fitness studio is well equipped with world class technogym cardio machines, urethane-encased dumbbells, disks, rubber mats and wellness balls. If you forgot your headphones, WestinWorkout will provide these to you so that you can listen to music while you exercise. Westin along with New Balance provides shoes and athletic wear for use to our guest during their stay at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. For guests who love Power Yoga, mats and balls provided by WestinWorkout give you ample space to stretch at your comfort.

Our WestinWorkout Fitness Studio is open 24x7 and we also provide personal training to our guests. We at WestinWorkout Fitness Studio offer our guests SuperFood Juices and smoothies during their exercise regime. SuperFood juices are anti oxidants and rich in nutrients which help you gain energy during your workout. Before our guests enroll for fitness programs at WestinWorkout, we conduct a full Body Analysis. Body Analysis includes a weight check, BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) level and an understanding of the guest’s lifestyle. On the basis of the results from body analysis, our trainer will design a program according to the lifestyle and requirement of our guest.

RunWestin is a program created by Westin for increasing the cardio workout and gives our guest a fresh start. We at The Westin Mumbai Garden City designed a Metabolic Surge – a cardio circuit to target strength building and muscular endurance for our guest. It is a 30 minute cardio circuit where the participants perform 10 minutes of cycling; treadmill and step machine each and cover the maximum distance possible.

For a better you, before doing any exercise or cardio workout stretching is a must. Our WestinWORKOUT Fitness Studio team has shared below a collection of stretching exercise for releasing stiffness and breathing the liveliness. 

Monsoon Special – Corn with a twist

Monsoon is a time when corn is at its best! Whether it is corn on the cob or corn chat, the joy of a juicy hot corn is enjoyed most during the rains. Corn is delicious in taste and it is also rich in carbohydrates. Cooked sweet corn has significant antioxidant properties, which reduce the chances of heart disease and cancer. Folic acid and vitamin B12 present in corn help to prevent anaemia caused by the lack of these vitamins. Also, fiber content of corn helps to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics.  We at The Westin Mumbai Garden City have given traditional corn a twist with a touch of western cuisine to create an innovative dish for you to try at home. Our Chef De Cuisine, Amit Suri shares delectable new age corn recipes.

Fresh Corn and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

6 corns

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 large avocado, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method of preparation:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook corn until warmed through for 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water until cool.
2. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, onion, avocado, and basil in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients to make the vinaigrette, whisking until blended.
3. Cut corn kernels off cobs and add to salad, then pour in vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.

Double - Baked Prawn Souffle with Corn

Ingredients:

Butter – soft for greasing

100g butter

100g flour

300ml warm milk

200g prawn meat – chopped

200g pureed sweetcorn

4 egg yolks

Salt and pepper

2 lemons zest and juice

5 egg whites

Breadcrumbs

1 grilled or tempura prawn per person for garnish (optional)

Method of preparation:

1. Butter 8 ramekins. Freeze and repeat 2 to 3 times.
2. Over low heat melt the butter in a saucepan and add the prawn meat. Slowly add flour to form a roux.
3. Warm the milk and add to roux to make thick sauce (Bechamel).
4. When cooked through, move to a round-bottomed bowl and add the egg yolks one-at-a-time. Check the seasoning and add zest and a little juice until you are happy with the sharpness of the lemon. Add salt to taste.
5. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks and fold into prawn mixture and pureed sweetcorn.
6. Before you put the mixture into the ramekins, coat with bread crumbs to ensure even rising.
7. When ramekins are full make sure that you tap the ramekin on a counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
8. Cook for 5min at 180ºC until risen – 12-15min.

Leek Roulade with Ricotta Corn Filling

Ingredients:

30g butter

1 medium leek, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

60g butter, extra

1/3 cup white plain flour

1 cup milk

4 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

For Ricotta Corn Filling

100g ricotta cheese

260g corn kernels, drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

Method of preparation:

1. For Ricotta Corn Filling, beat cheese in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth, stir in corn and chives.
2. Grease 25cm x 30cm Swiss roll pan, line base with paper, grease paper.  Melt butter in medium saucepan, add leek and garlic, stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until leek is soft.
3. Melt extra butter in medium saucepan, stir in flour, stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat, gradually stir in milk, stir over high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in egg yolks and leek mixture, transfer mixture to large bowl.
4. Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, fold lightly into leek mixture.  Spread mixture into prepared pan.  Bake in hot oven about 12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Sprinkle clean tea-towel evenly with parmesan cheese. Turn roulade onto tea-towel, carefully remove lining paper and spread roulade evenly with filling.  Holding tea-towel with both hands, gently lift and roll roulade from a wide side. Serve warm.

Winner of Westin’s Associate Enrichment Challenge

Westin as a brand follows the philosophy of Wellness. Our focus is on creating an experience through our signature products and programs such as The Heavenly Bed, Heavenly Bath, SuperFoodRx and Heavenly Spa. As a brand, our belief is that wellness is not solely delivered through our programs, it is also experienced through individual associate interaction with our guests. To enable an associate to deliver the promise of wellness, it is important for them to understand and live through the wellness experience themselves. Starwood has introduced an initiative named “Associate Enrichment Program”. It is a worldwide challenge encouraging all Westin brands to create a program which focuses on Associate Enrichment with signature programs like SuperFoodRx, WestinWorkout and Purify.

At The Westin Mumbai Garden City, the Associate Enrichment Program has been driven by our Food & Beverage Manager, Surajit Chatterjee along with support from the General Manager, Lance Ourednik and the entire The Westin Mumbai Garden City team. We initiated ‘Super Fridays’, a unique concept of rejuvenation for our associates every week. We dedicated a day for enhancement of our associates covering the three core components, eat well, move well and breathe fresh air. This program included fun and interesting activities to inspire associate well being.

Eat Well with SuperFoodRx – ‘Refuel’ our dining venue for associate showcased SuperFood breakfast, lunch and dinner. SuperFoods inspired tea/coffee breaks for associates at Refuel. Our Associate Enrichment team also conducted ‘Welcome to Work’ activities at associate entrance once a fortnight.

Move Well and Get Workout at Work – We started Move Well with RunWestin, our signature program. A group of associates from all departments got together for jogging and stretching exercise early in the morning every fortnight. The day started with a quick power breathing session to help associates build focus and concentration. Department-head meetings, discovery and departmental meetings started with meditation and stretching exercises. Additionally, yoga classes were scheduled every Friday. Also on Fridays waste bins were removed from ‘Refuel’ to encourage the practice of no waste and ‘No Smoking’ days were initiated inside the hotel premises.

Take a Breath of Fresh Air - Air humidifier and detoxification plants were placed in Heart of House (HOH) areas to ensure the air is pure and fresh. These are maintained by the Engineering and Horticulture Teams. Water–sensors were used for HOH wash-basins and bathing facilities to conserve water. Health Magazines were placed in Refuel to bring health awareness amongst associates. A sports event was organized every month for associates like Ring Football, Badminton, Kho–Kho, Carrom, Chess, Cricket and Throw Ball.

Recently, The Westin Mumbai Garden City was selected as ‘Best in Class’ for Westin’s Associate Enrichment Challenge. We took the top prize for efforts in implementing the first three modules of WestinWORKOUT, SuperFoodsRX and Purify. We won the prize of $2,500.00 USD which will be used as donation in our hotel’s name to the charity of our choice. We thank our associates for being part of this program and adopting Westin wellness brand values within themselves.