Irrespective of what is on offer, the fact that the “Tastes of India” is back at Hotel GRT Regency with the eighth edition is an attraction by itself. The popularity was evident on Wednesday night. The dining was brimming with people – in-house guests, foreigners and local visitors. Sous Chef R.N.Shrinath couldn’t hide his glee, “Families came from even Dindigul and Sivakasi to savour the festival fare.”
A cheerful note to start my culinary journey of India! The evening’s special were Parsi, Sindhi, Marwari and Malabar cuisine. Even without the spicy carrot vanilla shot, I hit a high excited to experience the dishes that I never tasted before.
‘Thadal’ -- the Sindhi drink made with almond and gulkand -- was waiting on the table. The sweetness of the chilled drink doused the fire on the tongue from the chatpata chaat items. The ‘make-your-own-chaat’ corner had the golgappas, paapris, bhujiyas and chutneys fast disappearing and required faster replacement.
“Our focus is more on the main course,” said Shrinath, “that is why we have kept our soups, starters and desserts to the minimum.” Still from the ‘street corner’ counter he got me a plateful -- mouth-melting shaami kebabs, subzi mewar ki seekh, idly with typical South Indian meen curry, Madras vada curry and set dosas.
In the main course, my eyes fell on the green packaged item, which was an absolute hit with the visitors. It was the Parsi Patrani Machi -- the silver pomfret marinated in rich spices, wrapped and grilled in a banana leaf coated with coriander chutney. It was heavenly and so was the Lucknowi gosht biriyani with Goan prawn curry cooked in Sarsawat coconut masala, that is roasted spices like cloves and capers in a paste of coconut milk.
Apart from the Punjabi chana chawal, I settled for naan with Panchkuti Marwari subzi, an assortment of five vegetables -- brinjal, potatoes, carrot, beans and bitter gourd -- cooked with garam masala and kalaunji (black caraway).The other side dish, Rajasthani amchur paneer masala was equally delicate and subtle and made for a good combination both with rotis and plain rice.
The vegetarian in me also loved the Sindhi kadhi, an assortment of vegetables cooked in raw mango pulp and tomatoes and the Goan chichinga zagoti.
The items laid out for the evening tasted delectably different and Shrinath shared a little secret. “North or South, the generous use of asafoetida, fennel seeds powder, saffron, cinnamon, star anise and yoghurt gives the food such a distinct flavour that you will not even miss the garlic and onion.” And of course, he added, the best compliments come when guests after eating wait to meet and congratulate him.
While I restricted myself to gulab jamun in rabri for dessert, Shrinath revealed his Friday-to-Sunday menu. While the weekday buffet was under check with 10 dishes in vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections, he plans to throw in a few tricolour treats and go full blast for the Independence day celebration.
The highlight will be the tiranga paneer and tiranga gulab jamun apart from many more dishes from more number of States. “My aim is to bring to the table dishes which people here are not aware of instead of the regular dal makhni, palak paneer, chicken butter masala or sambar,” said Shrinath.
If you want to experience a sumptuous Indian treat, drop in and check out his sea food preparations with prawns, crabs, squids, shrimps and pomfret, the Rajasthani daal-baati-churma, papdi subzi or the khichri curry pakoda, Calicut parotta or adai avial, Goan bun with chicken curry, Rajma Googji (kashmiri dish ma de with turnip and kidney beans), Aloo anardana (Sindhi dish made with potato and pomegranate) and much more.
The lavish spread at Rs.700 plus Tax is on for three more days (till August 17) from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. For reservations call 9994341135/ 9994341138.
CHEF’s Special
TIRANGA PANEER TIKKA
INGREDIENTS:
For stuffing in paneer tikka: Mint chutney Three TSP; chaat masala 10 gm and; Cumin, fried gram dal powder and tomato ketchup Five gm each.
Masala for saffron paneer tikka: Grated cheese 20 gm; Hung curd 250 gm; Ginger-garlic paste One TSP; Chaat masala, turmeric powder and Deggi mirch powder 10 gm each; Black salt and Kasuri methi powder Five gm each; Saffron One gm; Mustard oil 20 ml; Yellow chilli powder Eight gm and; Salt to taste
Masala for white paneer tikka: Grated cheese 40 gm; Hung curd 200 gm; Fresh cream 100 gm; Cashew nut paste 50 gm; White pepper powder Seven gm; Chaat masala and dry ginger powder Five gm each; Ginger-garlic paste One TSP; Salad oil 10 ml and; Salt to taste
Masala for green paneer tikka: Grated cheese 20 gm; Hung curd 250 gm; Fresh cream, Kasuri methi powder and chaat masala powder 10 gm each; Jeera and yellow chilli powder 7 gm each; Fennel seed powder and black salt 5 gm each; Mint chutney paste Two TSP and; Ginger-garlic paste One TSP
METHOD :
Cut the paneer into three big square shapes and marinate it with the respective coloured masalas and keep aside for four hours. Check the seasoning and cook the three coloured paneer tikkas separately in tandoor. Arrange in tricolour format and serve hot with pickled vegetables and mint chutney.
