Beware ...its 210 degrees HOT!

A Vegetarian's delite!

-Preeti Datar

210 isn't just a pastry shop for me. It's been a part of my life in celebration, in boredom and in uplift during my low moments. A hop, skip and jump away from my college, this is a true collegians breakfast paradise and officer-goers gluttony. At 210 degrees, the ovens are HOT and the preparations are HOTTER still!

Photo of the 210 pastry we picked for Radhika on her birthday!

Every cake that we get in the office to celebrate colleagues birthdays, CA results etc are without doubt from 210. Reason being the cakes and bakery products here are 100% vegetarian, the variety offered is mind-boggling and the prices are affordable. The cakes and pastries here are clubbed under 3 categories viz regular, dressy and premium. The prices range between Rs. 45 per piece to Rs. 75 per piece.

210 makes fresh bakery products every morning. The croissants, quiches, rolls, toasts, muffins, breads etc are soft and fluffy and full of flavour. Though I personally think some of their offerings like the chocolates, certain rolls & breads and puffs are not worth the price.


The seating is out-doorsy and the mornings and evenings are quite crowded. Most of the bakery products finish by evening, but luckily pastries come to our rescue after a hectic day at work!

 A birthday cake for an office collegaue from 210!

I've been visiting this place for the last 5 years now. The innovations in terms of flavours, the changes in seating and the upward revision of prices, I've seen them all. I also shamelessly boast of having tried 90% of their pastries! Despite of beign a non-vegetarian I swear by this place when it comes to satisfying my sweet tooth.

 Sweet tooth-ed in Office!210 to our rescue!! (Rachit & Me)

THE VERDICT:
Variety: 4.5/5
Pastries: 4/5
Bakery Items: 3.5/5
Prices: 4/5

TIP: Go here for a quick breakfast or a cuppa coffee and snacks in the evening!

  Sweet tooth-ed in 210!! (Tanu & Me/Photo by Radhika)

PS: As I finished typing this, I've already planned on going to 210 in the evening before the budget seminar, come comfort before the uncomfortable territory of budget ;)

A Sweet Sunday - Gajar Ka Halwa & Khajoor Pak

The sunday that passed was a lazy sunday. I know, i know, a lot of my sundays are lazy, but thats how it is meant to be, right?!

This sunday was a sweet sunday. My cousin Akshay was coming home, so we decided to make one of his favourite sweet, Gajar ka Halwa.

I also love gajar ka halwa. I remember being while mom used to let it cook on slow fire. However, this time around, the wait was slightly lesser as aunty made the halwa with khoya and not in pure milk unlike my mom does. Here's how we made the halwa-

1. Peal, wash and grate the carrots
2. In a pan, take ghee, let it heat and put the grated carrot in the hot ghee. Let it cook and soften.
3. Keep stirring ocassionally so that gajar is cooked well and the ghee gets coated evenly.

4. Grate the khoya and add it to the cooked gajar. Mix well so that lumps are not formed.

5. Cover with a plate and let it cook, stirring ocassionally.
6. Add sugar as per taste, cook some more till the sugar is dissolved.

7. Add powdered ealichi and dry fruits to garnish.
8. Serve hot or chilled!



Say CARROTS! :D

While aunty made the halwa, I tried out a recipe which an office colleague told me. Its basically a jhat-pat (quick) sweet and its called Khajoor Pak.

Here's how "I" made it-

1. Break the seedless dates into smaller pieces
2. Heat ghee in a pan and cook the dates for a minute or two.
3. Add ealichi, and dry fruits while stirring.

4. Glaze a dish with ghee.
5. T/r the date mixture to the dish.
6. Using ur hand or the back of a bowl, set the mixture evenly in the pan before it hardens.
7. Freeze for 15 minutes/till its hardened.
8. Cut into cutesand relish it!


One blunder! - One small blunder I made was adding sugar to the date and dry fruits mixture because i felt like it wasn't sticking together. Due to the heat, the sugar caramelised instead of melting and gave a gariny taste to the Khajoor pak when we bit into it. So do not put sugar! :P



Want a Date? :P



And the sparkle below(see image) was a result of random sunday cretivity! I draped my palstic pearly necklace on the bright pink water bottle and the contrasting result gladdened me! :)



(Credits: All pictures courstey my new Nokia 3600 slide mobile!)