The whiff of spices is overbearing atop the Pasumalai hillock, this summery evening. I take in the zing of freshly-roasted coriander seeds, the tang of tamarind and the sharp peppery dash of red chillies. The flavours are familiar and I am dismissive that it's going to be yet another Chettinad indulgence. Over the years, there has been a spurt of restaurants serving Chettinad food, each of them claiming to offer the authentic taste. But at many places what we get is a a hotchpotch of spices. “ We have applied restraint and stayed loyal to the time-tested recipes. Our festival is less about the spices and more about the cooking methods and formulae,” says Executive Chef Sanjay Singh.
The mutton chukka goes to test first. Well-cooked dices of mutton, tossed just right in the correct proportion of spices, with a glistening soft texture and a slight piquant taste, the chukka manages a decent pass mark. “Elsewhere, a chukka is often over-spiced, killing the real taste of mutton,” points out Sanjay and I couldn't agree more. “The problem is people tend to add every spice available in a single dish. But actually in the kitchens of Chettinad, the chukka just has fennel, chilli, coriander and salt. Likewise, uppukari is another mutton dish that's made with red chillies and salt. No other spice is added.”
“Also, the order in which the ingredients are added to a dish, makes a difference,” says Sanjay. “That's why the aachis are particular about what goes in first and what has to be added in the end. For instance, take the numerous paal curries in Chettinad cusine that are among the non-spicy numbers. A coarse mixture of khuskhus, coconut, a little bit of ginger and garlic and some cumin is all that goes into it. And that's what is thrown first into the vessel and forms the base of the dish. Likewise, there are tomato-based and tamarind-based rasams . So, it's important to have a base ingredient.” On the day's menu is the kalan pattani paal curry.
Red Kavuni rice in palm-leaf kottans , pickles in ceramic jaadis , some grated coconut on a wooden maravai and bright brass thookuvalis of varying sizes, ammi and aattukkal occupy the display and the dinner buffet is spread out in earthen pots kept on chulhas . There's mutton kola , pakodas, paniyarams and chicken 65 and fish fry for starters. The non-veg buffet has quail biryani, ayirai meen kozhambu , chicken chettinad gravy and mutton curry. Contrary to popular perception that Chettinad cuisine is more about meat, the festival actually offers an impressive variety for vegetarians.
I choose the bland milky paal curry that packs in mushrooms and green peas with dosais and appams . For spice lovers, there's Ramnadu kaikari kurma, kathrikkai kara kozhambu and a range of puli mandis , a speciality of the region. However, the tangy ayirai meen kozhambu found a place in my heart.
On the spice trail
@ The Gateway Hotel, Pasumalai
Date and Time: On till June 2, from 7 pm to 11 pm
HIT: The ayirai meen curry was made to perfection
MISS: Rubbery paniayarams and chewy kola urundai
MEAL FOR ONE: 1,000 Plus Taxes
TEL: 8489941257, 7133000
