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Iftar at Gulshan

With Ramadan here, eating is something that everyone thinks about (all through the day, while stealing glances at the clock), and no one talks about. Iftar time becomes everyone's favorite time of the day. After a hard day of fasting, it is natural to expect something good on the table. However, with our busy schedules, it's pretty hard to find time to prepare an elaborate iftar menu. Here's where the restaurants step in to make life easier for you. Read on and check out what our local food outlets have to offer:

Khushboo
Khushboo, located at House 53/B, Road 132, Gulshan 1, offers three special iftar packages for the holy month. The first is the 'Iftar Set', which consists of piyaju, beguni, chops, tchola (chickpea), mudi (roasted rice grain), dosa, dates, apple and/or orange, cucumber slices, a sweet item, and a sherbet. All this is yours for Tk 60. The second package is the 'Iftar Box', which contains all the items from the Iftar Set, minus the sherbet, and costs Tk 50. Finally, there's the "Special Box", which contains all the items of the Iftar Box, as well as an item called 'Fried Keram Chicken', and costs Tk 100.

Lavender
Lavender has two outlets, one at House 1, Road 50, Gulshan-2, and the other at House 20, Road 7, Dhanmondi. Both are offering an elaborate iftar menu that includes Hyderabadi tehari (Tk 70), Hyderabadi haleem (Tk 75),chicken tikka (Tk 60/piece), Nargisi chop (Tk 15/piece), Mughlai paratha (Tk 30/piece), mini pizza (Tk 20), and <i>Tiramisu<i> (Tk 95) as well as traditional iftar items.

Sanjeev Kapoor's Khazana
You can't say 'eating out' and not expect Khazana to be left out. Sanjeev Kapoor's franchise has a mega iftar bonanza to offer. There are four packages: the 'Khazana ki surwat_, which basically offers haleem; the 'Mithai ki Mehfil', which offers sweet dishes; the "Veg ki bahar", which offers vegetarian items, and the "Non-veg ki Mehfil", which offers non-vegetarian items. There's also a special offer of free Pepsi for the purchase of iftar items worth Tk 300.

Piano
There's this new Arabian eating place at House 16, Road 15, Gulshan 1, and it's called Piano. This Bangladesh-Kuwait joint venture offers a feast of Arabian iftar items such as leham kofta, makrani, Arabi cookies, shish tawouk, shwarma, and a host of other exotic-sounding items. If you want to try something totally different this Ramadan, this would be one good place to head to.

Spitfire
Another outlet that promises to be different is Spitfire. Located at NWF 8, Gulshan Avenue, this classy eating-house offers a host of Mediterranean, Lebanese, and Continental specialties. The iftar items include moussaka, paella, arayes, fatayer, tempura, Lebanese Chicken, mahlavia, fresh juice, and mouth-watering grills and kebabs. A special iftar buffet is available every evening, and you can even avail catering and takeaway services.
For more information, contact # 8851930, 018-279219.

Pavilion
Located at 97/1 Gulshan Avenue, Pavilion is fast making a name as a family hangout. Well, families can certainly hang out here for iftar this Ramadan. The iftar menu comprises of a long list of food items, such as chicken shashlik (Tk 60/piece), chicken shwarma (Tk 35), prawn tempura (Tk 20/piece), fried pomfret (Tk 100), and pav bhaji (Tk 50), as well as haleem, biriyani, and other traditional iftar foods.

So if you're planning to eat out Gulshan this Ramadan, you now have a whole list of places you can go to. Check them all out! Thodi si pet puja was never this fun.

By Sabrina F. Ahmad

Nescafé soft pack at soft prices!

Nestlé Bangladesh Limited introduces "Soft Daam-e Soft Pack" -- a cup of Nescafé at Tk 2! Indeed, a softer price than ever before. With the same heart-winning taste and aroma a cup of Nescafé is now at Tk 2, 8 cups at Tk 15 and 30 cups at an even softer price at Tk 50! You can now have your favourite Nescafé at any time.

People in general actually did have the notion that only the office executives drink coffee. Now, with 'Soft Daam-e Soft Pack', coffee is within the reach of all. The price is soft, really soft. Nestlé, the marketer of Nescafé deserves special complements for coming up with these packs. Let's take the heart-grabbing taste of Nescafé and say 'Soft dam-e jago! Soft pack-e Jago!'

Nabarupa now at Mirpur

The people of Mirpur will now enjoy shopping at Nabarupa one of the esteemed fashion house of Dhaka and Chittagong. On 31st October, the new showroom was inaugurated By Bibi Russel.

The Nabarupa collection includes saree, panjabi, three-piece, shirt, T-shirt, and Rajshahi silk from their own industry. This year Nabarupa has punjabis of 350 designs. They have a good collection of handicrafts and folk jewelry as well.

On the twin occasions of Eid and inauguration, the Mirpur showroom will hold a special month long sale.
The new outlet is situated at Delwar Plaza, plot-5, block-A, Section-6, Mirpur.

Indian savouries by Vidya Prasad

These are some of the recipes that can be made and stored and served during iftar. These can be easily stored for a week and are very tasty too.

Nipattu:
Ingredients required:
4 cups Rice Flour
1 ¼ Roasted Peanuts
¾ Big Ladle (Scoop) Hot Oil
2 Tea Spoon Salt
2 Tea Spoon Red Chili Powder
¼ Tea Spoon Hing
2 Tea Spoon Sesame Seeds
1 Cup Roasted Gram
Oil for Frying
Preparation method:
1. Sieve the Rice Flour.
2. Crush Peanuts coarsely.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
4. Add hot oil & mix well.
5. Keep it covered for 1 hour.
6. Add little water & make thick dough.
7. Heat oil in a broad frying pan.
8. Prepare lemon-sized balls from the dough.
9. Pat on top of a greased polythene sheet like Poori or Cutlet.
10. Deep fry in oil, till crisp & brown.
11. Drain the excess oil and cool it to room temperature.
12. Store in airtight container.
13. This can be served during the Iftar or any other occasion like evening snacks or morning breakfast.

Spicy Muri:
This is a recipe of the normal Muri, which is made with little spice. This is known as "Kalle-Puri" in South India.
Ingredients required:
½ packet Muri
2 Big Tea Spoon Oil
½ Cup Peanut
½ Tea Spoon Hing
1 Tea Spoon Mustard Seeds
1 Tea Spoon Chili Powder
A little Turmeric Powder
A Few Curry Leaves
Preparation method:
1. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add turmeric powder, hing, curry leaves & chili powder.
2. Add peanuts & wait till it is done.
3. Add muri & mix well.
4. Server hot muri.
This can be stored for a while in an airtight container. Instead of the normal muri during Iftar, this can be served once a while for a change.
Cheese Cutlets:
Ingredients required:
4 TBL Spoon Maida (Plain Flour)
4 TBL Spoon Oil
1 Cup Milk
2 Tea Spoon Salt
½ Tea Spoon Pepper
½ Tea Spoon Chili Powder
200 gms Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
5 Big Boiled Potatoes
Preparation method:
1. Heat Oil. Cook Maida for 1-2 minutes on slow fire.
2. Add Milk stirring continuously.
3. Cook till dry, without lumps being formed.
4. Mash the Potatoes.
5. Remove from fire. Add grated paneer & mashed potatoes.
6. Add salt, pepper & chili powder.
7. Make balls with wet hands. Flatten balls & give a heart shape.
8. Roll it on breadcrumbs.
9. Shallow fry with little oil.
10. Server hot cutlets.
This can serve as a very tasty item for Iftar.

Wheat Flour Biscuit:
Ingredients required:
1 Cup Wheat Flour
¼ Cut Sugar
2 TBL Spoon Pure Ghee
Few Drops Vanilla Essence
Little Kesar Colour
Preparation method:
1. Blend Ghee with sieved wheat flour evenly using fingertips.
2. Mix sugar with little water and heat to dissolve it.
3. Add Vanilla essence, Kesar colour & mix it to the flour little by little to form thick dough.
4. Roll it out into thin chappathi.
5. Cut into diamond shapes & deep fry till crisp & golden.
This can be served along evening tea. This can also be given to kids for school breakfast.

Hanging Out

Sumptuous iftar delights!

During the Ramadan, from sunrise to sunset you go without food or drinks! To satisfy yourself what could be a better way to break the fast in this holy month than with refreshing juices of Papaya, Pineapple, Apple, Orange, or nourishing selections of Sharbats, Lassi, Wood Apple, Squash and Kamaruddin (one type of sharbat made from Amsatta)!

Enjoy an array of iftar delights at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, from traditional sweets like Jeelapi, Fruit Rossomalai, Zarda, Payes, Semai, Sandesh, Mousse, Cream Caramel and Pitha to delicious fruits from the selection of sliced fresh seasonal fruit, fruit cocktail, fruit yogurt, dates, dry apricot and pears.

Savour chefs' exquisite iftar special from the range of Alo Chola Chatt, Chicken Chat, Babaganouj, Khoriatike, Fattoush, Khair Bil Laban, labenh, Mixed salad, Olive Pickle, Achar, Chutney, Rice Puff. Also try our special Halim with garnish, Piazo, Beguni, Pakora, Aloo Chop, Singara, Cutlet, Fried Gram, Dabri or Pindi Chana, Nehari, Mughlai Paratha, Tehari, Bhoona Khichuri, Morogh Pullao, Tangri Kebab, Boti Kebab, Shashlick, Chaap, Tikka, Puri, Nana, Paratha, Bhoona, Do-Piazza, Kosha or Stir fry.

The month long buffet iftar temptation will start from the first of Ramadan and will continue until the end of the holy month at the Bithika Restaurant.

Alternatively traditional take away Iftar Box is also available. Or you may take away traditional iftar items such as Halim, Zeelapi and other delicious items available from Bithika Restaurant.

Alternatively, should you prefer to break your fast in the privacy of your loved ones, friends, colleagues, or business partners, ask about our special Ramadan banquet set menu's tailored to meet your individual needs.

So come, see us and experience the flavours of the holy month at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.