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,
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“Also, the order in which the ingredients are added to a dish, makes a difference,” says Sanjay. “That's why the
Red Kavuni rice in palm-leaf
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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