I am not sure if Punjabi cuisine lists shorba with papad as one of its specialities. But they should. Everyone should. On a rainy evening, a bowl of hot, nourishing dal soup with bits of roasted papad to add the crunch is very welcome. The Clarion Hotel’s Punjabi Festival serves this and a lamb soup. After which one can pick and choose from the old but always-loved chole, maa ki dal, baingan ka bharta, kadhi and hot and wholesome rotis.
Honestly, just the missi roti with some butter would have kept me going, but it is a food festival and they do have to serve other things. Coimbatore is far away from the Punjab and one cannot get huffy about authenticity. And like most chefs in the city say, they have to modify tastes to suit the local palate.
There is a live counter for starters such as paani puri, paav bhaji and aloo tikkis. And there is as much lassi as you can drink! The vegetarian and non-vegetarian specialities vary day to day. There are three sets of menus, says executive chef Arulselvan.
So, on one day, you have Patiala murgh biriyani or Amritsari machchi and on another you have tariwala kukkad or a murgh tikka. For vegetarians, there is Lahori subzi or Pindi chole, among a host of other dishes. And there is paneer, never fear.
“No matter what festival we have, we always get a request for some local fare,” says the chef.
So, for those who cannot finish a meal without vattha kuzhambu or thayir saadham, there are plenty of namma alternatives to eat too.
A refreshing mango phirni, meetha chawal and malpua are a few of the desserts on offer.
The festival is on only for dinner till Sunday.
For details and reservations call: 0422-4523030.
