It is often said about the majority in Madurai how much they love their non-vegetarian recipes and relish it on any occasion or no occasion. So to entice them with a vegetarian fare for nine days is not easy.
On the other hand, city hotels have to be in competitive business suited to any mood or festival. During the navaratri period, the gourmet chefs of the big hotels are forced to design special menus keeping in mind the dietary restrictions and traditional preparations.
The two biggies, the ITC run-Hotel Fortune Pandiyan and the GRT Regency along with a handful of smaller ones dared it out with new flavours, textures and taste this season. While the former offered the Navaratri buffet lunch till yesterday (October 21), at GRT, the Navarathri Nalabagam Food Festival is still on till October 25. But only for dinner from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Though over, what needs to be mentioned is that at Hotel Pandiyan Executive Chef Kesava Kumar was bold enough to prepare some of the items minus the onions and garlic. The dal hara dhania, paneer keema mutter, sabudana khichri and kofta biriyani were pure vegetarian dishes that felt so sober on the palate. But his navaratri highlight was the Maa Inji Verkadalai Mandi – a Karaikudi special done with groundnut and a special variety of ginger cooked in the soaked water of rice.
What you will get at GRT Regency till Sunday night is Chef R.N.Shrinath’s selected array of vegetarian delicacies celebrating the spirit of Navratri, but of course with the usual touch of modernity. He is giving a rich biryani only using paalkatti (paneer) or a twist to the fried rice using basil (tulasi) and the typical preparation of maamis – the carrot puliyodarai. The platter of sundals has chick peas, horse gram, green moong, white peas while the salads come with special dressings of your choice from plain lemon and mint to curd and pudina or curry leaves.
If the bowl of snacks contains thattai, kamarkattu and ingi murukku, for accompaniments there is ragi chinna vengaya vadai or the sweet carrot dosa to be had with a special tangy chutney. Naans or plain rice taste good with the traditional vendakai theyal. Those with a sweet tooth are always spoilt for choice specially during food festivals and as always there is Thenga poli, kavini arisi payasam, pazhampori and much more to choose from.
The items prepared with care for the navaratri food festivals are no doubt a relief from the heavily spiced meals that one gets most of the times. And there is no complaint on the taste quotient either. But I surely did miss the typical North Indian navaratri fare of special rotis or puris made with kuttu atta and khichri or kheer made with samwat ki chawal. Or may be some sago croquettes and raw banana kebabs and Makhne ki kheer and lauki ka halwa!
The food at both the places predominantly targeted and impressed the Southerners. But the chefs tweak the opinion by saying they also need to expose visitors and guests from other parts of the country and the world to South Indian cuisine because they have come to Madurai. And none of the chefs seem to overlook children and always keep pasta or noodles in the buffet spread.
The hard work, passion and dedication of the teams cannot be undermined. Whatever they offer, it winds up as a feast for us.
