Every mood or occasion can be celebrated with a recipe from the Mediterranean region. If you are looking for a feel good food then Lebanese shawarma with the delicious hummus is a good idea. If you are looking for something healthy and wholesome then a Greek salad will more than suffice. When in the mood for some revelry then enjoy it with some Spanish Paella or you want some quick finger food for your party then tacos and burritos would be an excellent idea. Bringing in the Mediterranean culinary delights, ITC Kakatiya is hosting a Mediterranean food festival.
A classic Caesar salad garnished with cubes of apples and oranges, shavings of parmesan cheese and a generous dollop of feta cheese is a good start for a Mediterranean meal. Moving on to the next course, there is an eclectic choice of Mexican street food like burritos, tacos and nachos. Murrel marinated in mustard and basil and grilled gives the mild flavour of the spices and the soft succulent taste of the fish. No Mediterranean meal is complete without the chicken shawarma where the juicy meat is slowly grilled on a rotating spit and sandwiched in pita bread accompanied with a dip made of walnuts, aubergine and olive oil – a mix between Muhammara and Baba Ghanoush.
One of the classic Mediterranean dishes is the Spanish paella. It is a rice based dish and has just about everything that goes with the rice, though Spanish paella includes a lot of sea food. This flavoured rice has chicken, crab, prawns, beans, peas, peppers, olive and saffron is also an important ingredient which adds the golden colour to the dish. It is probably the Mediterranean version of our biryani. The smoked vegetable lasagne with a generous layer of cheese is not worth missing out. Imam bayildi which is nothing but braised aubergine stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes – Turkish version of the popular Ratatouille is also on the menu. Lamb tagine with root vegetables a Moroccan dish and mustard and basil marinated Indian salmon with saffron leek sauce is also worth trying. The food lovers can also indulge in Italian antipasti items lie cheese, breads, cold cuts and pizzas, pastas and risottos. The dessert menu is mind boggling but the dark chocolate mousse can be the perfect end of your meal.
The food festival is open till April 22, lunch and dinner at the Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya.
