If there is a vote for an Indian cuisine that is equally accepted by gastronomes all across the country, Punjabi would, perhaps, emerge as a clear winner. From naans to paneers, Punjabi dishes find their place in almost every major restaurant in the country. Despite the popularity of Punjabi dishes, it is not easy for the seasoned foodie to find authentic Punjabi food, especially in the city.
Vivanta By Taj, Kovalam, tries to recreate the experience of Punjabi cuisine with an ongoing Punjabi Food Festival at Curries – their signature Indian specialty restaurant.
“We have pulled out all stops to ensure that even the most seasoned foodie enjoys the same culinary experience he would enjoy in an eatery back in Punjab,” says Rishikesh Rai, executive chef at Vivanta. “In fact, I had spent around 20 days touring the most exquisite eateries all across Punjab in a bid to perfect the cuisines for the festival,” he explains. “We have paid attention even to minute detaisl to ensure a perfect dining experience. For instance, the papads served in the food festival have actually been brought all the way from Amritsar,” he mentions.
The warm ambience of Curries restaurant, which has been decked up in Punjabi style, grows on us as my friend and I make ourselves comfortable in the cosy chairs. The colourfully decorated walls of the restaurant, coupled with energetic Punjabi music playing in the background, perk us up and make our tummies rumble. Without much ado, we start poring over the menu. We had a fair share of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to choose from.
We decided to try out the Aloo Mutter Ki Tikki (Potato patty) and Bhatti Da Murg (Barbecued chicken prepared in Tandoor) for starters. ‘Bhatti Da Murg’, an Amritsar dish, turned out to be quite a relishing experience. It not only tasted different from regular tandoori chicken, but when tasted with mint chutney, it was quite delectable.
Blown away by the starters, we decided to experiment more with the main course. We ordered Missi Rotis and Amritsari Chole Aur Kulcha (a chick pea curry served with stuffed bread) along with Aloo Bukhara Kofta (minced vegetable dish stuffed with plums and peppers), Meat Beli Ram (lamb shoulder cooked in gravy and marinated), and Murgh Lababdar (a soft chicken dish roasted in clay ovens simmered in tomato gravy).
A huge fan of paneer, I ordered some Kadai Paneer as well. After waiting for a short while, our dishes arrive. Murgh Lababdar turned out to be the dish of the day. The chicken was soft, creamy and nearly melted in my mouth. Its gravy tasted well along with the roti. I mixed the Amritsari chole with some onion chutney and tasted it along with the kulcha, on the chef’s recommendation. The combination proved to be appealing. The lamb pieces of the Meat Beli Ram were juicy and well-cooked. Having feasted on the Murgh Lababdar and the Meat Beli Ram, we could not taste much of the paneer, much to our disappointment. In fact, we had actually lost count of the number of rotis we had! Needless to say, before we knew it, we were full.
We mulled over having a cool Lassi for dessert, but we decided to experiment yet again. We decided to have a Shahi Tukra (bread pudding with saffron rabri toppings) and a Malai Kulfi each. The rich Shahi Tukra and the soft Malai Kulfi proved to be a fitting conclusion to an amazing dining experience.
The food festival is on till July 29.The fete is open for lunch (12.30 p.m. to 3 p.m.) and for dinner (7.30 p.m. to 11 p.m.)
