Sula sold Sauvignon Blanc, its first bottle in 2000 and since then, it has placed India on the global wine map. Celebrating 15 years of operations, Sula recently released its limited edition festive season bottle at Asilo, Mumbai.

Brut Tropicale, a limited edition Blanc de Noirs, is a methode champenoise sparkler made from premium black grapes including Pinot Noir. This beautiful bottle is covered in paisley symbolising life and eternity, and has been interpreted and adopted as a quintessential part of the various cultures of India, spanning Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Today, the motif prevails in special occasions, ranging from henna patterns, ethnic fabrics, jewelry and such, emphasizing that most celebrations begin and end with paisley.

To mark the occasion, Sula Vineyards founder and CEO Rajeev Samant said, We wanted to do something exceptional to celebrate Sula 15 fabulous years. The result of two years of hard work is this beautiful Blanc de Noirs, a special wine. The limited edition Brut Tropicale is classy yet fun perfect for celebrations and gifting this festive season.

In the last 15 years, Sula Vineyards has also been a pioneer in India wine tourism opening the country first winery Tasting Room in 2005 and first vineyard resort, Beyond by Sula, in 2007. With 200,000 visitors in 2014, Sula is a poplar winery. Sula award-winning wines are available nationwide at the finest hotels and restaurants, and are also exported worldwide. The company is also a wine and spirits importer, with a portfolio of brands like Remy Cointreau, Cono Sur, Hardys, Ruffino and Asahi.

Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wines, Sula continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. The launch of the bottles is a commemoration of Sula success and its progress in global wine market.

Here is a treat for your taste-buds. Why not try something "Lebanese" this weekend?

Ingredients:

  . Chicken Thigh (Boneless) - 500gms

  . Yogurt - 250 gms

  . Potatoes - 250 gms 

  . Lettuce - 1 Bunch

  . Garlic Cloves - 10 to 12

  . Black Pepper - 2 Tablespoons

  . Olive Oil - 1 Tablespoon

  . Vinegar - 1 Tablespoon

  . Cardamom powder - ? Teaspoon

  . Lebanese White Bread - 4 nos.

Hummus:

   . White Chickpeas - 250gms

   . Tahini Paste - 1 Tablespoon

   . Lemon Juice - 1 Tablespoon

   . Chickpea Water - 3 Teaspoons

   . Salt - 2 Teaspoons

   . Olive Oil - 3 Tablespoons

Yogurt Tahini Sauce:

   . Yogurt - 250gms

   . Tahini Paste - 1 Tablespoon

   . Lemon Juice - 1 Teaspoon

   . Salt - 1 Teaspoons

   . Olive Oil - 1 Tablespoon

   . Black pepper Powder - ? Teaspoon

Method:

    . Marination: In a bowl mix 250gms of yogurt, minced garlic cloves, seven spices, vinegar, black pepper, olive oil, cardamom powder. Then, add the chicken thigh boneless pieces to the yogurt mixture and let it marinate overnight so that all the flavors soak in.

    . Hummus: Soak the chickpeas overnight. Boil them the next day and save the chickpea water. In a food processor combine boiled chickpeas, tahini pasta and a garlic clove. When the machine is running slowly pour the olive oil till the mixture smoothens. Add salt, lemon juice in the end and mix again to combine all ingredients.  

   . Yogurt Tahini Sauce: In a bowl mix 250gms of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of tahini sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper powder, salt to taste and minced garlic. Mix all the ingredients and let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so that the yogurt thickens.

   . Now, grill the chicken till it is char grilled and cooked completely.

   . For assembling the Shawarma roll, cut the grilled chicken into thin strips, thinly chop the lettuce leaves, deep fry the thinly slice potatoes till golden brown. Take the Lebanese white bread spread hummus over it, spread the lettuce leaves, potato fries, chicken strips and top it with yogurt tahini sauce and serve it immediately.

By Jigar Ganatra

The journey of a next door boy to renowned chef to now a restaurateur?

Excerpts of the conversation:

How did Masterchef India happen to you?

Firstly, while I am not from the food industry, I was always interested in cooking. I believe it was my hidden passion. I hail from a family of doctors who are well settled and sorted with their careers. They always wanted me to be serious about my life and soon my father asked me to leave for Canada for further studies. That is when I came across Masterchef auditions. I gave it a shot and to my surprise, my journey there began with a bang.

How has life changed after the show?

Masterchef has taught me seriousness. Cooking, which was once just a hidden passion, has now become a career. After the success from Masterchef, my family now believes in my passion. Earlier they did not believe in cooking as a profession, but they do now. So, I owe a lot to the show, my well wishers and my followers.

How is it to be a mentor and a TV presenter?

I was never a TV buff, as I was never allowed to watch TV regularly as a kid. Hence I was never confident about facing the camera, But with time I learnt the skill. Working with kids is an amazing experience, as I was always surrounded by their love, respect and innocence.

What do you have to say about International food formats on TV?

TV shows have changed with time. The audience isn?t aware about the cuisines, but they are keen to learn more. There are regions in India where people aren?t aware of international cuisines. Hence the formats are changing to teach the audience. The change that is being adapted today is the need of the hour. The techniques and awareness about the diversity of food is what we believe interests the audience.

What change do you foresee in the food business?

Food and cuisines have seen a transformation over the years. The audience expects creativity and an interesting platter, which has now become available to them. As a chef and a restaurateur, I see majority of the audience keen to try and experiment with new, international cuisines than taste the wide range of delicacies we have in our country.

Tell us more about your entrepreneurial venture.

I am happy to be a part on the board of directors in Venezia Enterprises. We have recently opened the first restaurant ?Macchiato? - a fine casual dining caf? that will serve true Italian food and wine. We look forward to more such restaurants in the future.

By Papri Das

Recent years have seen a drastic change in not only our food habits, but also in how we consume food. While processed foods are becoming increasingly acknowledged by families, ordering food from outside has slowly become a part of our lifestyle, especially in the metros.

It isn?t just about occasionally ordering from outside for a change; some of us depend on ordered food for everyday meals as well.

The numerous food ordering and restaurant curating apps that have emerged in the last two years is evidence of this new food revolution. Every restaurant, caf? and even a road side shack today has a FoodPanda or Zomato label on its doors. It is as if the entire food and beverage industry is slowly shifting online.

CouponDunia, one place where regular online shoppers turn to for coupons and discounts, understand this growing market and in order to foster in further, the company has organized The Great Online Food Festival (GOFF) this festive season.

This first of its kind five-day food extravaganza in the online sphere, which started on 23 September, promises a different theme every day -- biryani, desserts, Chinese and more. The idea is to offer exclusive discounts and limited edition offers through popular food delivery and food tech services like FoodPanda, Faasos, Swiggy, Box 8 etc.

Exec Life spoke to CouponDunia CEO Sameer Parwaani to throw some more light on this innovative food festival.

Excerpts:

What is the idea behind an online food festival?

We have witnessed an unprecedented growth in the usage of coupons among people across metros. As the industry is growing at a great rate, we are always looking at innovative ways to leverage couponing among new users. Keeping the current festive mood in mind, this is the first time an initiative like this has happened in India.
The objective was to introduce GOFF as an online event, which provides merchants with an opportunity to display their best offers and ensure exciting food experiences at the most affordable prices.

What do food lovers get from GOFF?

The Great Online Food Fest will let them enjoy mostly exclusive and limited offers. The offers will be available on CouponDunia?s website across seven cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. 

Subscribers and app users will be alerted via emails and notifications respectively about various offers for the particular day. Also, CouponDunia?s website will be updated with the latest developments that will be happening over the course of these five days.

What is the target audience of GOFF?

The fest is for all the food lovers who like to experiment with various cuisines at extremely affordable prices. Along with that, we are also enabling the merchants to reach out to their audience in a larger manner. It is a pioneering initiative in the online food ordering space, offering a win-win situation for both the customers and the brands.
The first three days, i.e. Wednesday to Friday focus on online food ordering in offices, whereas we want to provide respite to household kitchens on the weekends, and give people a reason to treat themselves.

Which brands have you associated with in the food fest and how are they performing?

CouponDunia has partnering with food-tech brands like Faasos, Foodpanda, Swiggy, Box8 etc. to present the food lovers with a huge variety of cuisines at unbelievable prices. As the fest has just begun, it is too early to ascertain performance.

What has been the general response from the consumers so far? 

We?ve seen a healthy response and hope that the consumers keep coming back, as we will be hosting new offers everyday as well.

Have you noticed any new online ordering trends?

As the fest has just begun today, we don?t have the adequate data to mark trends. Also, as this is the first of its kind, it is difficult to compare order behaviour. We will definitely gain insights through the course of, and after the fest is over.

What do you think is the future of food and beverage industry on the digital sphere?

The online food ordering space is emerging as a next battlefield in e-commerce with millions of dollars pumping into the segment. While a lot of companies are operating in the space, there has to be enough differentiation for them to succeed. So the future seems a tough competition between the food start-ups and single brand eateries. With the dining scene evolving by the day, customer convenience is becoming a priority and consumers are responding positively. We see this space to soon go beyond the metros and enter Tier II cities.

This weekend, Exec Lifestyle brings to you some engaging stories from media executives who are also chefs in their own rights, and love to experiment in their kitchens. Here?s what?s cooking with our exec chefs