After hearing from friends about the Savya Rasa pop-up restaurant menu that’s been introduced at Batlivala & Khanabuoy, I called to make a reservation for lunch. The voice at the other end asked if I wished to try the south Indian cuisine on offer or the restaurant’s regular Parsi menu. I thought that was a good way of letting the chef know about the customer’s preference ahead of time.
A row of the traditional south Indian thoranams made of tender coconut leaf fronds at the entrance
At the restaurant, we were greeted by a row of the traditional south Indian thoranams made of tender coconut leaf fronds. The large picture window next to our table was similarly adorned. The instrumental music too matched the South Indian theme. After scanning the menu, we decided to go with the unfamiliar rather than the tried and tested. Our all time favourites like bun parota and gola urandai were vetoed in favour of the beetroot gola urandai and neer dosai .
The drinks on offer: paanakam, rasatini and vasantha neer
But first things first; the drink options sounded too delicious to pass up. We settled on a paanakam , rasatini (I loved the name) and vasantha neer. While all were equally delicious the rasatini was a clear winner; it was a pineapple-flavoured rasam encompassing sweet, tangy and spicy flavours. A clear rim of orange floated over the vivid yellow liquid, like a thin film of pineapple-chilli oil infusion. The paanakam was light and sweet while the vasantha neer was refreshing with mint, honey and tender coconut shavings.
The beetroot gola urandai came with generous helpings of lime discs that helped uplift the sweetness of the well-seasoned and delicious beetroot spheres. The mutta chutney kebab (egg halves filled with a chutney stuffing and fried in batter) was a bit low on salt but tasty nevertheless. The mutton pepper chops, however, had us downing a whole bottle of flavoured jeera water as the masala was way too spicy for our palates. The chef was notified of our discomfort.
The neer dosa was served hot along with a side of Pollachi kari kozhambhu and tamatar guddu pulusu , each completely different in origin and taste. We had never before heard of the Pollachi mutton dish made with drumstick and brinjal and mentioned as a Vellalar Gounder speciality. The pieces of mutton were cooked to pull apart in a gravy that was just right in terms of spice. Thankfully the chef had paid heed to our chilli tolerance levels. The red tomato gravy with its boiled eggs offered a great contrast both in terms of colour and taste. The soft lacey neer dosa was perfect to mop up both gravies.
The vetrilai poondu saadham came next with a side of coconut pachadi.
The vetrilai poondu saadham came next with a side of coconut pachadi . Both were firsts for me. The mild pachadi was the perfect foil for the intense taste of rice tossed with strips of betel leaves and generous amount of garlic cloves cooked to a burnished gold. It’s definitely one of those timeless combos that work well both in terms of nutrition and taste.
Enjoy the flavours of natural sugar with karupatti halwa
Those who enjoy the flavours of natural sugar will never refuse kavuni arisi halwa or karupatti halwa . Both the desserts were served warm. Though the texture of the kavuni arisi was more gelatinous than the whole grain version, it was still delicious with a garnish of slivered almonds. The karupatti halwa squares were less sweet and carried the unmistakable aroma and taste of the traditional palm jaggery. The green and white of the chopped pistachios and almonds added texture and vibrancy.
Uday Balaji, the man in charge of operations, spoke about their strict adherence to quality. All masalas are ground at a central kitchen to main consistency and the ingredients are sourced keeping in mind availability and seasonality, which will facilitates standardisation of the recipe. The food at Savya Rasa is a melting pot of recipes unearthed due to extensive research on the many communities in South India.
Food for thought
The Savya Rasa pop-up is on until July 31 at Batlivala & Khanabhoy, # 122 , 4th floor Appusamy Naidu Layout, Red Fields. Open for lunch and dinner. You can specify spice levels while placing the order. For reservations call 4213459
Meal for 2: Rs.2000
