Just like aachi's

SPICE IS NICE At the Karaikudi Food Festival Photo:M.Periasamy

Ooh-so-soft paniyarams hot from pan, idlis smeared with gingelly oil, eaten with hot kari kolambu on a plantain leaf, crisp valapoo vadais and coffee in tall tumblers. Dhoti-clad men churn out delicacies at lightning speed from the kitchen…the ‘bungalow restaurants' of Karaikudi (where old homes have been turned into restaurants) is where the essence of Chettinad cuisine lies. It is this essence that chefs at Le Meridien have tried to capture in ‘Karaikudi food fest,' at Peacock, their Indian restaurant.

Karaikudi cooks

According to executive chef Velu Thirumalai, two cooks have been brought all the way from the bungalow restaurants to lend their expertise. First to be served is the steaming hot

vayal nandu rasam . The crab soup seasoned with coriander is the perfect way to begin.With sweet crab meat to go with every spoonful, the soup is delicious.

Vegetarians can try the

keerai soup , a thick soup made with spinach and mashed potatoes. The drumstick soup also sounds interesting.

paniyaramsvalapoo vadais

If you find the egg

kothu parotta not spicy enough, try it with

kari piratal , Devakotai chicken or the Karaikudi

kozhi kozhambu .

The dish also goes well with onion raitha. There are a range of curries to be had with white rice. The manathakkali vatha kozhambumanathakkali , palkatti patani khorma , pacha kari kuzhambu and aachi nethili meen kozhambu are some of them. The aachi nethili meen kozhambu , in particular, tastes just like what a Karaikudi aachi would make for her family on a Sunday.

For biriyani buffs, there's Karaikudi aatu biriyani, best had with attukal paya . The basmati biriyani is fragrant and mild, with a sprinkling of ghee. Kozhi mundri kushka , a rice dish with chicken cooked in cashew paste is another rich offering. “This is the Sivagangai meen varuval,” says Sureen as he serves a slice of pomfret that gleams invitingly. The melt-in-the-mouth flesh, the slightly smoky flavour that lingers a while, the reddish marinade…the meen varuval is just perfect.

“The ingredient that makes Chettinad cuisine special is the hand-ground masala. We have incorporated them in every dish in the menu for the authentic touch,” explains chef G.K.Karthikeyan. “In fact, I spent a few days in a bungalow restaurant in Karaikudi to learn the nuances,” he adds.

For dessert, there is rosapoo gulkandu, a halwa made of white pumpkin and rose petals, pal kozhukattai and paruppu suiyum , traditional jaggery dumplings. But, the best of all is the elaneer payasam .

With translucent bits of tender coconut floating in a creamy coconut pulp, the payasam is a little sweet, a little cold and just delicious.

The Karaikudi food festival is on at Peacock, Le Meridien, Avanashi Road.

It will be on from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. till August 21. For details, call 0422-2364343.