Seasonal Tastes, at The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, is all set to explore the flavours of Chettinad cuisine with a festival called Malgudi Diaries. The festival that brings to the table both vegetarian and non-vegetarian specilaities from the region, is an ode to the fun and flavourful cuisine of the Chettiar.
TT Bureau
Published 21.04.18, 12:00 AM
Dinesh Kumar, sous chef, Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai, along with Ravish Mishra, executive chef, The Westin Kolkata.
What: Malgudi Diaries
Where: Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat
On till: April 29
Timings: 7. 30pm to 11pm
Meal for one: Rs 1,399-plus
Seasonal Tastes, at The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, is all set to explore the flavours of Chettinad cuisine with a festival called Malgudi Diaries. The festival that brings to the table both vegetarian and non-vegetarian specilaities from the region, is an ode to the fun and flavourful cuisine of the Chettiar.
“Chettinad food is a labour of love. It’s all about spices. Chettiars like their dishes hot and spicy, however, they do not use red chillies. Coriander and pepper form the base of the spices and hence even when the food is spicy, it’s cooling on the stomach, especially because of the use of sesame oil,” said Dinesh Kumar, sous chef, Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai, along with Ravish Mishra, executive chef, The Westin Kolkata.
T2 GOT A TASTE OF THE SOUTHERN SPECIALITIES
Meen Kal Varuval: “Chettinad cuisine uses a stone tawa instead of the regular steel one,” said chef Dinesh Kumar. This bekti marinated in shallot paste, red chillies, garlic and lemon was cooked in a tawa.
Prawn Chettinad: This dish comprises fresh prawns deep-fried in a Chettinad-special dry masala consisting of 18 different spices and fresh curry leaves for added flavour.
Murungai Malli Saaru: Comforting if you have a sore throat, this lentil soup with drumstick pulp flavoured with coriander seeds and leaves is a neat start to the meal.
Kozhi Sukka: A popular finger food in the Chettinad region, chicken chunks are shallow-cooked with shallots, garlic, onions and tomatoes and flavoured with black pepper.
Mutton Kolaurundai: Mutton keema is cooked with roasted chana dal, chopped onions, green chillies and garam masala and then made into meatballs and cooked in an onion- and tomato-based gravy. Tastes best with steamed rice or paratha.
Mushroom Pepper Fry: “Among the Chettiars, mushroom is like a special vegetable and is usually a substitute for meat,” said chef Kumar. Button mushrooms cooked with tomatoes and shallots along with ground pepper powder, this is a dish eaten mostly on days when non-vegetarian food is prohibited.
