Spice Up Your Life! Experience ‘Chettinad Food Fest’ at Hotel Taj Gateway
Mangaluru: Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used mainly in non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, and are topped with a boiled egg that is usually considered an essential part of a meal. They also use a variety of sun-dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, crab, chicken and lamb. Tamil food is not a homogeneous cuisine – it has several layers and sub-cultures. And Chettinad is one of the most popular segments of Tamil cuisine. Cardamom Restaurant at Hotel Taj Gateway is hosting a Chettinad Food Festival focused on just the flavours of Karaikudi.
Any food lover, who is keen to relish authentic Chettinad food, need not to go any further. You can simply step into the Cardamom restaurant inside the The Gateway Hotel, Mangaluru any evening from now until the 18th June to savor the dishes. To make the authentic home food Hotel Taj Gateway- Mangaluru has brought Chef Inbaraj from Madurai / Karaikudi district of Chettinad who is expert in making Chettinadu dishes radiated with the direction and execution of local Taj Gateway Hotel Executive Chef Sinu Vijayan to make sure the perfect and authentic Chettinad food is served to our guests. Chef Inbaraj, joined Taj in May 2015, where he specialized in South Indian, Karaikudi and Madurai food preparations which is called Chettiar Cuisine. Passed out hotel management from St Mary’s Catering Institute – Madurai 2003. He is a Food Lover and always look for creating his new fusion cuisine derived from this particular region.
Region-wise culinary delights from this part of the world are from the simple Chettinad specials like Uppu Urundai and Kaikari Kozhukattai to all-time favourites like Kola Urandai Kozhambu and Moolai Muttai Masala. Each dish with its own unique identity. Chettinad is also famous for its unique Badam Halwa, Javvarisi Payasam and Kungamapoo Rava Kesari. Karaikudi is usually associated with ‘Chettinadu’ or ‘Karaikudi’ cuisine although the term ‘Chettinadu’ is widely used nowadays to refer to non-vegetarian delicacies in spite of the fact that actual Chettinadu cuisine is predominantly vegetarian. The spicy flavours and a variety of veg/non-vegetarian dishes are bound to excite even the folks who don’t like hot food.
The Chettinadu Food Festival at Taj Gateway includes- a Welcome drink,Panagam; and Appetizers like Madurai kozhi, Aachivaruval. At the Live Cooking station you can try Kothuparatha served with salan (Egg, chicken and veg); the salads include Green salad, Sallas, Sundal, Dahiwada, Kuchumbar salad, Mix sprout salad, Grated carrot and raisin salad etc; Craving for Soup, you can try Kolikurumelagusaru or Murungai kolundusaru; the Vegetarian Main course include Karaiurulai podivaruval, Ennaikathirikai, Chettinadu kaikarivellaikuruma, Keeraipoondumassiyal, Vatahalkuzhambu, Sambar, Rasam
If you are a meat lover, you’ll feast on Kozhichettinadu, Thalapakattuaatubiriyani, Karuvepillaimeenkozhambu, Rice, Pulisadam, Ponnisadam, Thairsadam etc. – with accompaniments like Thairvada, appalam, vazhagam, pickle, morumolaga etc. Having a smooth tooth, mouth watering deserts like Ada Pradama , shakkaraipongal, Kadlebelae Payasam, Fresh mango gateaux, Hot Chocolate Brownie, Ice cream, fresh cut fruits etc
How about a brief history Chettinad cuisine- Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of a community called the Nattukotai Chettiars from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. The cuisine is perhaps the most renowned cuisine in the Tamil Nadu. It uses a variety of spices and the dishes are made with fresh ground masalas. Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice-based accompaniments such as dosas, appams, idiyappam, adais and idlis. The Chettiars through their mercantile contacts with Burma, learnt to prepare a type of rice pudding made with sticky red rice. Some of the popular vegetarian dishes include idiyappam, panni yaram, vellai panni yaram, karuppatti panni yaram, paal paniyaram, kuzhi panni yaram, kozhakattai, masala panni yaram, adikoozh, kandharappam, seeyam, masala seeyam, kavuni arisi and athirasam. In Chettinad food, major spices used include anasipoo (star aniseed), kalpasi (a lichen), puli (tamarind), milagai (chillies), sombu (fennelseed), pattai (cinnamon), lavangam (cloves), bay leaf, karu milagu (peppercorn), jeeragam (cumin seeds), and venthayam (fenugreek).
So if you are craving for real authentic Chettinad Food, make your dinner plans to be at the Cardamom Restaurant-Hotel Taj Gateway, with food served from 7.30 pm -11.00 pm until 18 June. The friendly and courteous staff at the restaurant are looking forward to welcome you, your family and friends for this wonderful food fiesta !! Book your table, Contact +91 78292 32341 for advance reservations
