It takes all kinds to make the world. Let me give you an example. How do you like to eat your dinner (or any other meal, for that matter)? I know people who can’t have a meal unless they are seated at the dining table, plate on a mat, a glass of water on the side. Then there are those who like lounging on their sofas when they dig into their biryani or sandwiches. Not me. I like to eat in bed. Earlier, I had a book in my hand while I ate; these days I watch Netflix or Amazon.
Of course, it can get a bit messy, which is why I am all for meals in bowls. You can eat without spilling anything, and really experiment with your food. If you like dal-chawal, that can be your main meal in a bowl, garnished with whatever takes your fancy: a lemon squeezed into it, thin slivers of crispy-fried potatoes, perhaps a papadam crushed over it.
That is why I have been getting special bowls from Swiggy. Not just delivered by Swiggy, but dishes offered by the company’s new platform called The Bowl Company. The food comes in a bowl, rice or the cereal on one side, the main dish a bit on top, and mostly on the side.
I tried it out on two occasions, and on both days we were all very happy with our food. One day we had a dish called Old School Dilli Wale Chane with jeera rice (₹159 for a large bowl) and palak pakori kadhi with steamed rice (₹170 for a large).
Palak pakori kadhi with steamed rice
Dilli wale chane was rather nice. The dish consisted of small black channa in thickened gravy, seasoned with coriander seeds. I loved the kadhi, which had soft balls of spinach in a well-flavoured curd-based kadhi. It was tart, but not overly so, and the pakoris were crunchy from the outside and soft within.
Another evening we had Texas barbecued chicken with seasoned potatoes and buttered parsley rice (₹185), chermoula fish with paprika rice (₹185), butter chicken mac and cheese (₹299 for a large bowl) and Chennai fiery chicken curry with jeera rice (₹289, large). Also, badam kesar phirni (₹65).
My fish was rather nice, marinated as it had been with garlic, lemon juice, coriander and olive oil. The rice, however, was not paprika but parsley flavoured. I tried out the barbecued chicken and found that it had a tangy taste, which paired well with the buttered parsley rice and cubed potatoes. The youngest at home had the butter chicken, which came with pasta in a red and cheesy sauce. “Mera wala best hai,” she said, a few times. Her mother likes hot food, and was very happy with her fiery Chennai curry. “Kaisa hai,” I asked her. “Mirchey hai,” she said, smiling broadly. The phirni was disappointing, but we needed something sweet after a fairly hot meal, so it served its purpose.
The menu includes peri peri chicken with corn rice, Maharashtrian chicken curry with steamed rice, Sriracha chicken with egg fried rice, Tuscan spaghetti chicken bolognaise and teriyaki chicken with Hakka noodles. The vegetarian fare includes Kolkata chilli paneer with fried rice, rajma chawal and Multani chholey.
Dig into the bowl and have your meal. And watch your favourite whodunit on TV. Bliss!
