A Gastronomic Gowd Saraswath Brahmins (GSB) Adventure! Hotel Taj Gateway presents 3-Days of Konkani Food Festival, on 7, 8 and 9 December 2018
Mangaluru: When it comes to hosting Food Festivals in Mangaluru, there is no other Star Hotels like Hotel Taj Gateway- Mangaluru, where food lovers of this Coastal city in the past have experienced in savoring various kinds of delicacies from different parts of India, and also China, Thailand and the Middle East, featured during the Food Fests at this Classic Cardamom Restaurant, inside Hotel Taj Gateway. And this time they are hosting something unique kind of food, created exclusively by the GSB community in this Coastal Town, and will be served to the food buffs of in and around Mangaluru, during the three-day “Konkani Food Festival” to be held on 7, 8 and 9 December curated by Chef. Komal Prabhu. A first of its kind Konkani special unlimited buffet for an unbelievable price of Rs 999/-
Fish along this vast coastline of DK are widely believed to swim in the Arabian Sea. When not, they can be caught swimming in steaming hot coconut-based Konkan curries. Most times, one can get a good catch in quaint, and often queer, at various non-veg restaurants in the City. So what’s in it for those who like licking green fingers? A lot of the Gowdi Saraswat Brahmins are vegetarians. It is a misconception that Konkan food is only fish and is the exclusive domain of the non-veggies. There’s the Avnaas Ambe Sasam, Bibbe and Tendle Upkari, Thingalavare and Soorna Bendi, Mushroom Amshe Thikshe, to mention a chosen few.
When one notices how the community of Gowda Saraswat Brahmins have kept the memory of their migration from the North to the South alive through food, for example daali thove, a gravy central to their cuisine, it can be seen how food is central to the culture and life of the GSB community. The history of migration and difficulties involved in the long journey is reflected in the ways the community for its survival made roots, shoots and fruits all a part of their food culture. Most of these preparations involve minimum ingredients and this fact tells us the story of the diversity of the community due to migration.
History confirms that any community which has had to migrate develops a strong survival instinct. Food being one of the most basic necessities of survival. It is not just the availability of different vegetables, fruits and leaves during various seasons which make different cuisines possible, it is the compulsion to nurture and safeguard the body and health in varying and various weather conditions also prompts the communities in transit to develop different cuisine for different seasons.
This is the history that has given birth to the culinary heritage of the GSB community, which in the rainy season nourishes itself with taikilo, gudgudu alumbe (thunder mushroom) paghil, kirlu (bamboo), warms itself up during winters with kook, avalo (gooseberry), ambuli (raw mango), guddi- (pumkin), kuvale and nurtures itself during spring with matti gulla, kadgi (raw jack), jeev khadgi (bread fruit). When summer comes, which is the cruelest of all seasons, the GSB community beats the heat savouring ambo (mango), bibbe (cashew), pachponos and ponos (jackfruit).
Curated by Chef Komal Prabhu of the renowned Chef Komals Kitchen has artfully crafted the menu. The Konkani Food Festival aims to bring to the food lovers of Mangaluru and nearby places a variety of items prepared by the community. The fest will include items like Panak, Kokum soda, Nimbu sharbat, Fried Yam Kismoori, Salla Kismoori, Mixed Sea Food Salad, Mixed Veg Pickle|Sandige|Curd , Clams Sukka, Silver Fish Rava Fry, Crab Sukka, Squid Rawa Fy, Fish Naked Fry, Teasel Gourd (Paagil) Fritters, Tender Jackfruit Fritters, Sanna Polo and Patrado, Horse Gram Soup, Prawns and Crab with Garlic Soup, Amla and Garlic Soup, Fish Alle Piyao Ghashi, Bolanjeer Pannaupkari, Prawns Hingauda, Anjal Pannaupkari, Kundapur Chicken Curry, Kane Ambat, Prawns Pannaupkari, Avnaas Ambe Sasam, Bibbe and Tendle Upkari, Thingalavare and Soorna Bendi, Mushroom Amshe Thikshe, Dalithoy, Neer Dosa, Khotto, Moode, Kadle, Bele Payasam , Pova Kheeri Payasam, Ragi Manni, Doodh Pak, Tausha Muddo, Mando, and much more- and the menu changes on all three days. So if you want to try all the delicacies of GSB, then dine all three days during the Fest.
Ganesh Kamath speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “Today Konkani Community has 41 divisions, but saying it in speeches and mentioning it in books is not sufficient. They people from each division must mingle and share their thoughts and recipes to others through the food fest. The Konkani speaking people from each division must know the famous recipes of other division and build a strong bond. Earlier Konkani’s used to eat only vegetables and fish, but now started eating meats. At present there are days, where again people go for vegetables, giving importance to health consciousness. Konkani prepare dishes made from various vegetables and leaves which has scientific and medical qualities. I think food lovers of Mangaluru should come and try the various delicacies of GSB community at this 3-days Konkani Food Fest at Hotel Taj Gateway”.
Chef Komal who has an experience of over a quarter century in the profession, played a key role in turning a prominent seafood restaurant the most sought after place in Mangalore for GSB cuisine. The Konkani Food Festival is a continuation of her dedicated effort towards promoting and popularizing traditional GSB cusine.
In celebration of this rich cultural heritage and in honour of the history remembered through and in food, the renowned The Gateway Hotel is organizing Konkani Food Festival a first of its kind, where the GSB community’s special dishes will be taking the centre stage. Spice up your summer evenings with delicacies straight from the Konkani coastline! Come by and celebrate a three-days weekend extravaganza of authentic Konkani cuisine only at the Cardamom Restaurant, inside Hotel Taj Gateway, Mangaluru! Savor an exotic array of mouthwatering dishes prepared by the expert culinary Chef Komal Prabhu and her team!
ABOUT CHEF KOMAL PRABHU:
Mrs Komal Prabhu is a leading name in the Food Hospitality Industry. She has more than 20 years of experience in this space. She also manages Rathna Hotels, a restaurant at Bangalore Golf Club and a 24 x 7 Corporate Cafeteria “. She loves networking with people. Customer focus and people management skills are her strengths! The word “Impossible” is absent in the dictionary of her life. An eternal optimist, she takes both bouquets and brickbats with equal grace. “Our critics are our architects towards success” is her motto!
Over the years, Komal has been recognized as an accomplished Chef, with Mangalorean and GSB cuisine being her USP. Her burning desire is to propagate and popularize GSB cuisine at the International level. Towards achieving this, Komal conducts workshops for women food entrepreneurs on GSB delicacies, and also handholds budding chefs who are interested in learning the finer points of this style of cooking. She has been also invited as a judge for many culinary events and as a resource person for talks/ workshops on women entrepreneurship. Komal was awarded the Adani First Generation Business Excellence Award during the State level POWER Summit held at Udupi in February 2017 She is also an active member of Mangalore Toastmasters.