Kerala Kitchen at Holiday Inn, Mayur Vihar
The thing about weddings is that you throw the diet out of
the window. That is, if your lifestyle is controlled by one. Regardless of what
your stomach can brook, you gorge on delicacies one after the other as if there
was no tomorrow and pray to God about making it to the next day by popping a
digestive pill. No meal can be missed because weddings do not happen every day.
So, the pill with the enzymes better be a strong one!
I’m talking about Bengali weddings, where even if you do not remember
what the bride wore or how beautiful the hall decoration was, there is detailed
analysis of the mutton kosha, the pulao and the maacher paturi served at the
party for the next ten years at least!
When I received an invitation from the Holiday Inn to partake
of Chef Regimon’s rendering of specialities from God’s Own Country, I tried to
wriggle out. I was just back from Calcutta having participated in the wedding
of my only blood brother. The only thing the body needed was to feed on its own
fat. Or leafy salads and juices. The inflated waistline needed heavy monitoring
and I was in no mood let the grip slip.
After much deliberation, I gave in. Promising myself that I
would check on the pigging. It didn’t help though. So, here I am, a day after a
big fat meal, jotting down my thoughts on a food festival that should not be
missed. And most importantly, the truth behind the adage, ‘Man proposes but God
disposes’…
The festival that will run till December 8th at the
hotel, showcases culinary delights from all regions of Kerala famous for
its food. Namely Malabar, Kochi and Travancore—basically a melange running from
the North to the South. Chef Regimon (specially flown in from Crowne Plaza,
Kochi), who after an interaction appeared to a warm and simple person willing
to dish out every single recipe when asked, has curated a selection of dishes
that will give the connoisseur a well-rounded idea of the vastness of a Kerala
food trail. There are popular dishes from the Mappila community, the Syrian
Christians and the Brahmins (vegetarians ahoy!).
I’d like to tell you about the dishes that I found worth the trek
to the hotel. Try the Kane Porichathu or Lady Fish Fry, a light appetizer where
the soft fish in marinated in spices and fried. It is served with a ginger
chutney, a green chilli chutney and the usual coconut and poppy seed chutney.
There is the Vazhapoo cutlet and Ulli Vada for vegetarians. Popular amongst the
Mappila Muslims during Ramadan, these fritters are very similar to the Bengali mochar
chop and piyaji. But, while we use more of the banana flower than mashed potato
(and our chops are sweetish), the patties here were more about potatoes than
the flower. Also, we stick to gram flour in our onion fritters, while the Mappila
version is crispier because of the usage of rice flour. There was also the
seafood dumpling tossed in onion tomato masala which I had to forego because of
my allergy to crustaceans.
But not for long. One of the major dishes in the main course
is the Malabar seafood biriyani. After staring at my portion for two minutes
when I put a spoonful into my mouth with a wee bit of apprehension, I let out a
sigh. A happy one. I have always been partial to Calcutta’s biriyani but this I
must tell you is second to none. Absolutely delish.
Another fabulous curry was the Kumarakom Meen Pattichathu. A
robust red curry that stings your taste buds at the word go. The hotel is using
King Fish for the preparation and I must warn you that it might be a bit
pungent if you are not used to sea fishes but do have the gravy with red rice. There
is a distinctive smoky flavour to it attained through fish tamarind or as the
Keralites call Kudampuli. The tanginess of this kokum is countered with red
chillies. So, the curry is fiery and robust.
Vegetarians must try the Vellari Manga Curry. It is a tasty
tangy raw mango and white pumpkin curry that goes beautifully with those fluffy
appams and idiappams. If you are not fond of tartness, there is the subtle
vegetable Ishtu.
I generally restrain my intake of mutton. I find it a tad
heavy. But, after having a morsel of the mutton Kurumulagu Roast, I asked for a
second helping. The Syrian Christian preparation is a dry mutton dish where the
flavours of pepper and fennel rule. Despite the dryness of the dish the meat is
tender. I found it an absolute winner. Do have it when you visit.
Among the desserts I would recommend the Vazhapoo Parippu
Payasam (banana flower, lentils and tender coconut cooked with jaggery and
coconut milk) and the Palada Pradaman (rice flakes cooked with cardamom infused
sweetened milk) before wrapping up.
The menus will be cyclic so you have a whole lot more on
offer other than the dishes mentioned here. So, do go. You cannot afford to
miss the humble flavours of Kerala in all their lipsmacking glory. While I trudge
back to my detox diet over the weekend…
At: Café on 3, Holiday Inn, Mayur Vihar
On till December 8 for lunch and dinner
Ph: (011) 41105555
Comments
Post a Comment