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27 July-2 Aug 2012
BOOK
FOOD
Southern Feast { Aalok Wadhwa }
Shuttle Queen
most exciting part of the meal is the Chettinaad Fish Curry (Rs. 185) – which is perfectly cooked pieces of singhara fish, in fiery peppery hot gravy. This goes beautifully with the soft aapams. It is an amazing dish, and is highly recommended. I am full by now, but just can’t resist ordering the intriguing Paneer Sichuan Dosa (Rs. 115) – a recipe that is unlikely to find favour with the purists. It is a triangular dosa with a distinctly red heart. I bite into it and realise I am onto an amazing taste adventure. While the interiors are not even remotely Sichuan, the dish is addictive. The paneer is soft; the red gravy is sweet, spicy and sour; and the raw onions and green chilly on the top provide crunch. The end result is some kind of a Chinese chaat
‘V
irundu’ means ‘feast’ in Tamil – when friends and relatives are invited during happy ceremonial occasions to share food. And a feast is exactly what I have in mind as I visit the stand-alone Virundu restaurant at Golf Course Road. It is situated in a road-side shack. I meet the owner Mohit Gupta, who has recently bought over this eatery from its earlier owners, after they decided to shift back to Chennai. He assures me that the food retains its original magic. The menu certainly looks promising, and I order a Chennai classic, the Adai Dosa (Rs. 80). Adai is considered to be the most nutritious among all dosas, as it has
Virundu Restaurant 1185, Golf Course Road, Near Technopolies, Sector 54, Gurgaon Phone: +91 9650130583, +91 9650130584, 0124 2578175 Timing: 11 am – 11 pm
the goodness of lentils along with rice. It is also notoriously difficult to make, and that is why most restaurants shy away from having it on their menu. Virundu does not pass the test on this – the taste is more of a chilla than a dosa. Next I try the Tiffin Thali (Rs. 130), which is a
smorgasbord sampler of idli, vada, mini-dosa, upma and rava kesari. What stand out here are the dosa and the subtly spiced sambhar and chutney. Things decidedly perk up with the mains. The Egg Aapam (Rs. 110) and the Chicken Aapam (Rs. 140) are both delicious; the accompanying kurma to the Malabar Paratha (Rs. 80) is pleasing. The
inside a dosa – with a plethora of textures. This should be tried. Virundu is not a fine-dining restaurant. The interiors are frayed, and the service is laidback. But then, here is an honest place that serves inexpensive yet tasty food. u
C eleb W atch
Apps Night
R eviews
{ Alka Gurha }
L
ike Sachin Tendulkar, she lets her game do the talking. Undoubtedly Saina Nehwal, India’s ace badminton player, is an epitome of dedication and modesty. No wonder she has achieved dizzying heights of sporting success. ‘Saina Nehwal: An Inspirational Biography’, by T.S. Sudhir, is compellingly written, and encompasses Saina’s humble upbringing, her training, and her progress as a badminton player. Since not much of this is in Saina Nehwal: An the public realm, the book is a revInspirational Biography elation of sorts. T. S. Sudhir has been tracking Saina’s matches and career Author: T. S. Sudhir since 2005. He says, “I have closely Publisher: Westland watched her practising for 12 hours Limited at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Price: Rs. 250 Academy in Hyderabad.” Genre: Biography The book presents the reader with interesting glimpses of Saina’s family ties, her gruelling practice routine, and her ride to success. Saina was introduced to professional badminton when she accidentally caught the eye of badminton coach P.S.S Nani Prasad Rao, while playing at the Lal Bahadur Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad. Not many would know that Saina’s parents, Usha Rani and Dr. Harvir Singh, played badminton together – and that Usha was considered a better player among close friends. The book chronicles interesting moments – like when Saina went from being a vegetarian to a non-vegetarian, in the course of a meal in China, only because Gopichand told her to. “We were in Hangzhou, it was the Chinese New Year’s Day, and no vegetarian fare was available. I took her to a restaurant and told her to eat fish and crab. Till then she had been a vegetarian all her life. I said she had to eat it. And to my surprise, she did. No questions asked. She couldn’t even open her mouth, but she ate,” reads an anecdote from Gopichand in the book. At a time when Olympics are around the corner, Saina Nehwal remains focused in her attempt to win the elusive gold for the country. After she recently clinched the Indonesian Open Title, millions of Indians are hoping to see her on the medal rostrum at the London Games. This biography came into being because Sudhir wanted to take Saina’s story to every child in our country – to show that there is sport and success beyond cricket. In order to reach out to the youth, Sudhir has kept the prose simple – yet lucid. “Anybody who picks up this book will be drawn into Saina’s inspirational story,” says Sudhir. Undoubtedly, Saina Nehwal: An Inspirational Biography’ is an intimate portrayal of a twenty-two year old shuttle queen, who remains an inspiration for sports enthusiasts.u
W
ith sumptuous food, refreshing drinks, and incredible applications, Nokia organised “Nokia Apptasting” to introduce and showcase its finest collection of mobile applications. The Event was hosted by Rajiv Makhni, technology guru, and Vikas Khanna, celebrity master chef – who together showcased and discussed some of the best mobile phone applications available on the market.
Summer Brew
M
usic lovers in the City grooved to rock music and enjoyed beer at a newly opened microbrewery. The guests were seen riding high, as DJs Ajit Sarathi, Ankit Verma, and Sameer, along with percussionist Dr Daniel, played progressive techno blended with rock music. Mr. India 2007, Viraf Patel, was also present.
A Principal Performance
P
rincipal of Lorraine Music Academy, Lorraine Fiona Aloysius, Principal of New Indian School, Dr. Gerry Rodricks and Principal of Jesus & Mary College, Delhi University, Dr. Sr. Melba Rodricks met their ex-students and current students, spanning three generations. The children surprised everyone with their confidence and enthusiasm, by presenting an impromptu music performance. While Nikita and Neal Srivastava made everyone laugh with their little skit, Adi and Vihaan Chaturvedi presented a
play. Neharika, Nainika and Nohar Mann puresentedan "Saving the Environment". Drummer Aadit Kapoor narrated a short story on "The Drummer Boy"; and Kiyoshi Yakeem, Tanushi Yakeem, Rehat Thussu, and Rabbani Thussu recited a poetry. Arjun Sahu and Ishaana Mohanty enlightened the audience with history and geography. Adya Uppal and Nayantara sang songs "Spoonful of sugar" and "Lovely", respectively. Dr. Gerry Rodricks taught the children a few funny dramatic lines and rhymes.