Take a dive into the treasure of the sea

October denotes the arrival of Seafood since the monsoon season ends by September. People generally avoid eating seafood during the rainy season for hygiene reasons. As the monsoon gets over fishermen are back on the seas, trolling for the best the murky waters have to offer. With seafood you don't need to trim any fat. Just grill, barbecue, bake, steam, poach or microwave seafood to keep a low calorie count. Seafood is also an excellent source of top quality protein.

Now that the rains have receded, the city is breaking its collective seafood fast. We at The Westin Mumbai Garden City bring a Crab Carnival to tantalize the taste buds of Seafood lovers. Crab meat is a popular and versatile type of seafood. Crab is considered a delicacy in many countries. The ingredient is so versatile that it lends itself to any cuisine and can be made into dainty nibbles, tasty appetizers, a snack or even as an entree.

The mild, sweet-tasting crab flesh melds well with an array of flavors. It can be an ideal choice for a light lunch or even an elegant dinner. Indulge yourself to mouth-watering crab delicacies at all our venues.

Crab Carnival

28^th September – 12^th October 2012

Seasonal Tastes        24 hours

Kangan                       7 pm – 12 am
Prego                         12 pm – 12 am

Cheers to Oktoberfest!

‘Oktoberfest’ which happens in Bavaria, Munich, Germany is one of the Largest Volksfest (People's Fair) in the world. The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to celebrate the October 12^th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. In the earlier days Horse Races were held at the Oktoberfest.  But by 1819, the race had been called off, replaced by beer carts and a carnival-like atmosphere.

It is a 16 day long festival starting at the end of September till first week of October. In a large ground various tents are built which serve Bavaria beer and other alcoholic beverages along with German appetizers. People from all over the world come to Germany to attend this festival.

We at The Westin Mumbai Garden City are celebrating Oktoberfest at Eighteen The Lounge. To spice up the event, enjoy chilled beer over exhilarating cricket action on a large screen. Munch on to some traditional German Würstl (sausages) along with Brezeln (Pretzel) and Knödel (potato or bread dumplings).

Relax with your friends and family as we treat you to a range of innovative drinks, tantalizing appetizers and fun filed cricketing! Hold your beer glass up and say cheers to Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest

Eighteen The Lounge

21^st September – 15^th October 2012

4 pm – 1 am

Riding Around India

We were delighted to welcome The India Ride team to The Westin Mumbai Garden City earlier this week. The Pyle brothers on their tour around India stopped with us to renew themselves. Ryan and Colin were given a traditional and warm Indian welcome.

The team started their journey in Delhi and will be covering over 30 locations across the length and breadth of the country, in 60 days, riding over 14,000km on their local Royal Enfield Thunderbirds.

Photo courtesy: The India Ride

Track The India Ride team’s movements as they continue their journey around India on The India Ride and on Facebook.

Ryan Pyle’s note to the General Manager, Lance Ourednik post their stay at The Westin Mumbai Garden City “I just wanted to write you again and express how thankful, and how impressed, Colin and I were at our stay at the Westin earlier this week. Right from our wonderful arrival party through to our departure our stay at the Westin was legendary and your team were so supportive and so wonderful.

We you set out to do something that is incredibly mentally and physically challenging you always look for moments where you can rest your weary body and mind; and our stay at the Westin Mumbai was exactly that. We ate, we slept and even had time to go for a swim. It was the exact kind of rejuvenation we needed and for that we will be forever thankful. We'll be sure to stay in touch with you and your team during our journey.”

There is no doubt that they left feeling better than when they first arrived.

Irresistible Escapes

The Westin Mumbai Garden City provides travelers an added reason to take a city weekend break with the launch of the ‘City Weekend’ promotion.  Book a stay at The Westin Mumbai Garden City from now until 30 September 2012 at standard rates and enjoy breakfast for two persons, complimentary in-room internet throughout the stay and 3pm late check-out. What’s more, children under the age of 12 years old dine at the hotel’s restaurants for free.

The Westin Mumbai Garden City is conveniently located close to the international and domestic airports and easily accessible from the Western Express Highway. Each of our 269 spacious and contemporary guestrooms and suites offers our Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath®, high-speed internet access, refreshment center, ergonomic workstation, in-room safe and an enhanced range of amenities. Located on levels 19 to 32, the floor to ceiling windows energize the rooms with natural daylight and offer panoramic views of the cityscape or the lush forest landscape.

The promotion runs throughout the month until 30 September 2012 and bookings are applicable for stays up to 22 December 2012. At The Westin Mumbai Garden City, the promotion is valid for weekday stay – check-in on Friday and check-out on or before the following Monday.

Please visit www.starwood-ap.com/weekends2012   for the full list of terms and conditions. Participating brands include Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton, W, Le Méridien and Aloft.

The special offer can be booked online, at Starwood’s Customer Contact Centers or by calling the property directly. Visit www.starwood-ap.com/weekends2012  to take advantage of this limited special offer.

Don’t miss this chance to enjoy a well deserved holiday with Irresistible Escapes at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. 

Get on track for more rewards with SPG

SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) a loyalty program of the Starwood group celebrate their partnership with Mercedes AMG Petronas by offering a chance to win a VIP trip to the 2012 Indian Grand Prix. This trip also includes a meet and greet with Nico Rosberg, 4 nights’ accommodation at The Westin Abu Dhabi and return business class flights compliments of our partner Etihad Airways.

To win a VIP trip, simply watch our video on www.spgpoleposition.com, then log in with your SPG number and give us the name of the friend that would like to accompany you or log onto our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SPG) for more information. Please share your entry on or before 1^st October 2012.

That’s not all! We will also reward you with an extra entry for every night that you stay with us while the contest is running till 1st October 2012. 

Step on to Stepathlon

It is said that every step counts and it takes you one step closer to your success. Step towards a goal, step towards better health and a step towards ‘Stepathlon 2012’. Stepathlon is India’s largest mass participation fitness and well-being initiative, a race around a ‘virtual world’.

Spread over 100 days, Stepathlon began on 10^th September 2012. Teams will work together to boost their daily physical activity levels at work and in their free time and compete both internally and against teams from other companies. Every participant target is to cover 100 consecutive days and motivate individuals to take 10,000 steps a day, as recommended by global health authorities.

Time saving and time wasting technologies have led to a significant decline in physical activity, resulting in increasingly sedentary lifestyles. This initiative promotes teamwork and fitness via a simple, inclusive and participative format, which delivers a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.

Each participant wears a pedometer (a step counting device) for 100 days where they enter their total number of daily steps recorded by the pedometer, directly into the online portal or via a mobile application. Participants are encouraged to walk, run, play a sport, swim and even cycle to increase their daily step count. A participant can simply enter the distance taken while doing activities such as swimming and cycling. The steps of each team are converted into kilometers and plotted on Stepathlon’s map of the ‘virtual world’.

Stepathlon will motivate employees towards embracing a fitter lifestyle in an environment that’s supportive and fun. This initiative will lead to physical and mental health benefits. Physical benefits may include improved sleep and energy levels, reduced stress, weight loss, a decrease in waist circumference, and reduced blood pressure whereas mental health benefits may include increased job satisfaction, greater self-esteem, and increased levels of confidence.

Stepathlon is the brain child of Stepathlon Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. (SLPL), a global wellness company founded by Ravi Krishnan and Shane Bilsborough. SLPL creates an ecosystem that promotes corporate health, fitness and productivity by increasing daily activity.

Come join us and take a STEP in the right direction to being a better you!

Natural Bliss!

September announces the end of the monsoon and as the city is preparing for a new season, our body and mind also needs renewal. A balanced soul is a happy soul, complete revitalization is the key. Bliss through natural therapies combined with modern ways to give our guest a wholesome wellness package. We at Heavenly Spa by Westin provide an enriching experience that rejuvenates your senses.

With rain comes a dull skin and dehydration. Our therapies are designed to help you get rid of dead skin and make you look gorgeous. Pamper yourself at Heavenly Spa, book any of our massage treatments and get an organic body scrub free. Organic scrubs help remove all dead skin in a very natural form. It provides complete body nourishment. Come and indulge in bliss!

Heavenly Spa

September Surprise

10^th – 30^th September 2012

9 am to 9 pm 

Bring Dilli into your Kitchen

Mumbai is experiencing a food extravaganza by offering the scrumptious cuisine of Delhi. As we know Delhi is a Foodie’s paradise, we at The Westin Mumbai Garden City focuses on pampering the taste buds of all those people who crave Delhi Food. Inspired by Mughal, Awadhi and Punjabi cuisine, Delhi is well known from street food to parathas to Kulfi falooda.

Instead of going to Delhi to devour Delhi food, our Executive Chef, Ajay Chopra brings Dilli into your kitchen with mouth-watering recipes from our Dilli Khaas menu. Savor the delicacies like Peethi Waali Tikki from the streets of Chandani Chowk to Chicken Korma from Karim and Babu Khan or indulge yourself with appetizing Darbaari Ghost. Visit Dilli in your very home and share your views with us.

Peethi Waali Tikki

Ingredients                                     Quantity

For potato mixture

Boiled potato (Grated)                      500gm

Roasted chana flour                          10gm

Bread crumb                                      50gm

Corn flour                                           10gm

For stuffing

Moong dal (soaked)                          100gm

Jeera                                                   2gm

Hing                                                    5gm

Deggi mirch                                       2gm

Salt                                                      5gm

Honey                                                 5gm (1tspn)

Chopped green chilly                         5gm    

Chopped ginger                                 10gm

Lemon juice                                       5ml                 

Ghee                                                   80gm

Oil                                                       20ml

For topping

Chat masala                                       10gm

Saunth chutney                                 20ml

Whipped curd                                    50ml

Mint chutney                                      20ml

Julienne ginger                                  for garnish

Coriander sprigs                                few

Yellow chilli powder                           05 gms

Coriander powder                              05 gms

Method of Preparation:

For Stuffing

1. Heat oil and ghee together in a pan, add tempering jeera, chilly, ginger with hing sauté it.
2. Add moong dal and sauté it again to make stuffing little dry; now add rest of the above mentioned ingredients to make stuffing. Cool the stuffing and keep aside.

For Potato Mixture

1. In a bowl add boiled grated potatoes and all the above mentioned ingredients to make a mixture, rub it well to avoid any lumps.
2. Divide the mixture into 50gms and stuffed with moong dal stuffing to make tikki.
3. Heat ghee to shallow fry tikki and make it golden crisp from both the sides.
4. Serve hot in a platter with toppings and garnish with julienne of ginger.

Chicken Korma

Ingredients                                     Quantity

Chicken leg (boneless)                      250gm

Ginger garlic paste                            30gm

Turmeric                                            5gm

Coriander powder                              10gm

Ghee                                                   50gm

Chopped green chilly                         5gm

Yellow chilly powder                          5gm

Curd                                                    50gm

Brown onion paste                             50gm

Cashew nut paste                              30gm

Green cardamom powder                 3gm

Chicken stock                                     500ml

Salt                                                      10gm

Cream                                                 20ml

Garam masala powder                      2gm

Whole spice

Bay leaf                                               2nos

Black cardamom                               2no

Cinnamon stick                                  1no

Green Cardamom                             05 nos

Mace                                                   02 nos

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat ghee in a pan, put whole spices to crackle it, add ginger garlic with some water to sauté well
2. Add the turmeric and the coriander powder and cook well
3. Add the yogurt and cook till oil comes up
4. Add chicken with spices and stir it until masala cooks, thereafter add brown onion paste and cashew nut paste
5. When masala leaves fat, add yellow chilly and green chilly
6. Put chicken stock and cook until chicken becomes soft and tender
7. Add garam masala, cardamom powder and cream before cooking gets done to retain flavor
8. Finish with fresh chop coriander leaves and green cardamom powder

Darbaari Ghost

Ingredients                         Quantity

Lamb curry cut                     500 grams

Ginger garlic paste                30 grams

Desi ghee                                50 grams

Coriander powder                  15 grams

Red chilli powder                   15 grams

Turmeric powder                   05 grams

Green cardamom                  05 grams

Bay leaf                                  02 grams

Cloves                                     05 grams

Cinnamon                              05 grams

Onions, chopped                    100 grams  

Almond paste                         50 grams

Mace powder                         10 grams

Green cardamom powder     10 grams

Salt                                          as per taste

Fresh coriander leaves         50 grams

Lamb stock                             100 ml

Method of Preparation:

1. Clean and wash lamb curry cut
2. In a bowl add coriander, red chilli, turmeric powders and mix well
3. Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed kadhai or vessel, add whole spices first and cook well. Add onion and saute till golden brown
4. Add lamb curry cut and cook on high flame for 10 minutes. Add ginger garlic pastes and cook for another 10 minutes. Reduce flame and add masala mixture and cook for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle water if the spices are starting to burn.
5. Add almond paste and cook for another 10 minutes. Add lamb stock and cook till meat is tender .take out the lamb pieces and strain the sauce.
6. Return lamb pieces into the strained sauce and add green cardamom and mace powders. Check and adjust salt.
7. Finish with chopped fresh coriander.

Also visit http://chefatlarge.in/category/recipes for Dilli Khaas recipe.