What: Coastal Culinary Journey
Where: Durbari, Swissotel
On till: November 19, lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 12.30pm to 3.30pm; dinner all days, 7pm to 11.30pm
It’s often said that every two miles the water changes and every four miles the dialect, as you travel along the coastline of India — from Gujarat in the west to Bengal in the east. What remains unsaid is that the flavours in the local kitchens also keep changing with only one constant — seafood. To celebrate the wide variety of coastal cuisine in India, the chefs at Durbari, the Indian restaurant at Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista, have crafted an extensive menu, representing the different coastal areas, which is available till November 19.
The most interesting part of the menu is the interactive section, where you can choose your fish and gravy from a list and the chef would be happy to rustle up the combo.
Squid Koliwada: Ask anyone in Maharashtra about koliwada and you would be directed to the nearest fish market. Yes, the name is a reference to fishermen’s (koli) villages, as the dish offers a handful of squid fried with a sweet-sour-spicy masala mix. Rs 599
Pomfret Racheado: This dish is the product of our experiment with the interactive menu. Our fish of choice = pomfret; gravy = racheado, a typical Goan masala paste. The result? A spicy, tangy marinade that added a kick to the fried pomfret. Rs 1,499
Chicken Cafreal: Flavoured with coriander and mint, this famous spicy chicken dish from Goa is a Portuguese gift to the Indian subcontinent. The use of lime juice or Goan vinegar adds zing to the spiciness of cloves, ginger and garlic and makes it a winner to go with steamed rice or Warqi paratha. Rs 749
Bamboo Mutton: Cooked inside the hollow of a mud-sealed piece of bamboo, this Odisha dish has smoky and tender pieces of mutton with a hint of black pepper. Pair it with steamed rice. Rs 899
Seafood Biryani: Freshly fried shrimps and prawns are the stars in this coastal Andhra’s ghee-rice delicacy, cooked in dum. We loved the rich aroma of the seafood, caramelised onion, mint and green chillies wafting from the biryani basket. Rs 1,099
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