Awadhi Food Festival @ Vivanta by Taj - Connemara, Chennai

If one was to define Indian cuisine and the dishes that constitute it, I’m sure it would be a colossal effort. For Indian cuisine is not as simple as it may sound. To put in simpler terms, Indian cuisine is more a collective term and in true essence significance should be in mentioning the varying regional cuisines that are prevalent within India.

But if there was to be one such regional cuisine that has created an identity of Indian cuisine in the western world, then it’s got to be the Awadhi cuisine that originates from the Lucknowi region of Central India. The Awadhi cuisine is not completely indigenous to India as it was brought to India by the Mughal rulers from Persia. But over the centuries, the cuisine has adapted itself to its new found land.

The common saying goes that the true essence of Awadhi cuisine can only be felt in two places – one the kitchens of the royal family descendants and the other in the streets of Lucknow. Unfortunately, I still haven’t managed to gain an audience at either of the places. But luck struck when I was told that Awadhi Cuisine was going to make a stopover in Chennai. But being the food snob, I wanted to check it out only if it was going to be authentic. But when it came to my knowledge that it was being hosted by none other than Vivanta by Taj – Connemara, I knew it could possibly be the closest I can get to Lucknow.

The Awadhi food festival at Vivanta by Taj Connemara is spearheaded by Chef Shamshad Ahmad from the famed Oudhyana restaurant at Vivanta by Taj – Lucknow along with Chef Jaffer, Executive Chef at the Connemara. When I heard that they had flown the chef from Oudhyana, I knew for sure that the authenticity of the cuisine could be guaranteed. The festival takes over the complete menu and is in the form of a buffet spread with starters and soups served on the table as is the custom.

(Mutton Shammi Kebab)

(Murgh Gilafi Kebab)

(Paneer Tikka Hariyali)

(Khoya Khubani ka Kebab) 

The evening started of with a ‘Murg ka Shorba’, a mildly spiced chicken soup. The depth of flavours in the soup was immaculate and paved the way for a great meal ahead. The first of the starters to make way were from the non-vegetarian stable, with the ‘Murg Gilafi Kebab’ which was the followed by the ‘Mutton Shammi Kebab’. The Gilafi kebab was a variant of the sheek kebab with a mix of exotic Awadhi spices. One thing that was a standout was how rigid the kebab was in spite of taking the shape of a sheek as sheek has a tendency to break down to pieces once we begin cutting into it. The Shammi kebab on the other hand was equally delectable with a good texture. This was followed by the vegetarian kebabs with the mighty paneer making its way in the form of ‘Paneer Tikka Hariyali’. But the highlight of the evening has to be the ‘Khoya Khubani ke Kebab’. This was a combination I’m hearing for the first time. I’m sure most of us know the famous Hyderabadi delicacy, Khubani ka Meetha but a kebab made of Khubani (Apricot)? Well it turned out to be the star dish of the evening. It was loaded with flavours and had a very soothing textural effect on the palate. I loved it so much that I don’t even remember how many servings I’d had. If you happen to chance upon this dish anywhere in an Awadhi environment, please do not miss it.

(Chicken Awadhi Biryani)

(Dum Kofta Biryani)

(Rumali Roti)

(Nihari Gosht)

(Murgh Korma)

With the starters taking a major portion of our palate, there was very little room for the mains. So I settled in for some Rumali Roti along with ‘Nihari Gosht’ and some ‘Murgh Korma’. The Nihari Gosht was perfectly cooked with the meat falling of the bone effortlessly. The curry had a very aromatic taste thanks to the special secret spice mix that goes into it. On the other hand, the Chicken korma too was delectable but the Gosht was a clear winner. To take in some rice, I’d requested for some ‘Chicken Biryani’ and ‘Dum Kofta Biryani’. The Chicken Biryani was in true Awadhi style and was a marked contrast from the Muslim household biryani that I’m very accustomed to. But Biryani being biryani, no two cooks can cook the same style of Biryani. I liked the infusion of saffron and how the masala was light with the rice being unevenly coloured between white and yellow. The Kofta biryani was also very similar to the Chicken biryani barring the fact that the chicken was replaced by fried kofta which added another textural element to the dish.

(Dessert Platter)

To bring closure, we were served with the Awadhi desserts that shared space with their regular dessert spread. The desserts on the platter were a ‘Shahi Tukra’, ‘Sheer Korma’ and ‘Zarda Ananas’. The Shahi Tukra is a dessert that finds its place quite often in Muslim households during functions. It is a dessert made using bread which is soaked in ghee, fried and topped with dry fruits and nuts. The Sheer Korma resembled our kheer quite closely excepting it had a Date flavour to it. The Zarda was a saffron and pineapple flavoured sweet rice which was neither too sweet nor too dull. But comparing to the grandeur that is expected from Awadhi cuisine, I felt that it could have been upped a bit more.

The overall experience was quite frankly exhilarating as this was the closest we could get to being in Lucknow. However, there was one thing missing and I just couldn’t control myself from asking the Chefs present there about it. If you have guessed what it might be by now, I’m sure you have either read my reviews consistently or a great admirer of Awadhi cuisine. Yes, how can an Awadhi festival be complete without the mighty ‘Galouti Kebab’. It was then that the chefs confided in me that an important ingredient was not available matching to their high standards and as a result, they decided to leave it out for that evening. However, I was not to give up. Couple of days later, two other food buddies and I made a visit again just to savour the galouti’s made by a true lucknowi chef. And boy did we not regret for coming back again. Although mildly spiced, the galouti was bite sized and when combined with the Shirmal (Saffron flavoured Sweet Bread), Onions and some Pudina ke Chutney, it was just mind boggling. A perfect combination of flavours and textures exploding in the mouth with every gnaw. I just couldn’t resist and could have easily gulped down about 5 mini rolls.

(Galouti Kebab - Pic Courtesy: Chennai Foodie)

This experience has once reiterated the belief that the Awadhi cuisine can rightly be termed as India’s Royal Cuisine as it delivers to that title on every bite. The Awadhi Food Fest at Vivanta by Taj – Connemara is up until the 26^th of October, 2015 at their all day dining restaurant ‘The Verandah’.

Vivanta by Taj – Connemara is located in Egmore between the iconic Spencer Plaza & Ethiraj College with the buffet priced at Rs. 1500 plus taxes per person.

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Kitchens of India - Royal Repast of Arcot Cuisine @ Madras Pavilion - ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

Each and every time one thinks of Royal Cuisines in India, it is more than often associated with the Mughal cuisine. Coming down to regional cuisine, the erstwhile Hyderabadi royal cuisine plays a dominant role. However other regional royal cuisines seems to have been lost with time in spite of the region being home to several famous kingdoms.

Thanks to one of the leading luxury brand of hotels, we may now have a glimpse into these long forgotten royal cuisines. The ITC group of hotels are conducting a pan India food promotion titled “Kitchens of India – Royal Repast” that showcases regional royal cuisines. Keeping in line with the theme, ITC Grand Chola in association with the Nawab of Arcot bring us to glimpses of the Nawabi cuisine from this region. In order to provide a truly royal experience, the family chefs from the Arcot Nawab’s house tirelessly worked along with the expert chefs from ITC Grand Chola’s Madras Pavilion restaurant to bring their cuisine in an ITC style. 

(Badami Shorba)

(Paya Shorba)

(Nawabi Shikampur)

(Mahi Talko)

The evening started with two Nawabi styled Shorba – ‘The Paya Shorba’ and ‘The Badami Shorba’. Both Shorba had royalty embodied on them as they were both rich and flavourful. This was followed up with four different varieties of Kebabs – two non veg and two veg. The non-veg kebabs of the evening were the ‘Mahi Talko’ and ‘Nawabi Shikampur’ while the veg options were ‘Subz Gulkhand’ and ‘Palak Anjeera’. The ‘Nawabi Shikampur’ is very similar to the Shammi kebab except that it’s made using chicken instead of mutton. Although it was flavourful, I would have loved it even better had it been a little juicier. I skipped the other kebab as it was a grilled fish and I’m not too keen on fish kebabs. On the veg, I only tried the ‘Subz Gulkhand’ as it seemed intriguing to find how the flavour of gulkhand would be used. It was nothing to be wowed about but was a bit different in comparison to the different varieties I’ve tasted over the years.

(Arcot Biryani)

(Non Vegetarian Curries)

(Paneer Amir Shah)

Coming to the mains, the highlight of the evening was the ‘Arcot Biryani’ and the regular accompaniments such as ‘Raita’ and ‘Bagarhe Baingan’. On the curries, it was a trio of lamb, poultry and seafood with ‘Goolare Gosht’, ‘Murgh Shahi Korma’ and ‘Laal Baingan Jhinga’ and for the veg it was the ‘Paneer Amir Shah’. Coming to the curries first, I liked the Murgh Korma better than the rest as it was packed with spices that emanated a rich taste along with the rotis. The Jhinga and Gosht were equally good but the Murgh was better. However the Paneer was a disappointment as the core ingredient itself was very chewy and hard. I assume it could be because of being on the counter for quite some time. Now coming to the highlight of the day, the ‘Arcot Biryani’ was truly outstanding and the chefs have probably got this spot on from the Nawab’s chef. With a tinge of saffron and well cooked meat the biryani had all characteristics of a true royal meal.

(Double ka Meetha)

(Badam Halwa)

(Meethi Dahi)

How can a royal meal be complete without some great desserts? The desserts on offer for the evening were ‘Double ka Meetha’, ‘Badam Halwa’ and ‘Meethi Dahi’. To start with, the ‘Double ka Meetha’ was just one word - YUM. The bread were soaked delectably in milky sugar syrup while still retaining some crunchiness. I loved it so much so that I helped myself with two servings of the same. While the dahi was not unique, the halwa was great in its own way. Not being very heavy on the palate, the halwa had a nice texture and a very comforting feel. Overall the Arcot cuisine on that evening had a few misses but the plusses made up for more than that. Simply the Arcot Biryani and the Double ka Meetha can keep one going on and on.

The food promotion is part of the regular buffet menu at the Madras Pavilion and is on till the 14^th of September. The buffet is priced at ₹ 1950 plus taxes on all day for dinner.

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Festa della Pasta @ Prego - Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam

Chennai has truly never had an issue with Italian cuisine be it pastas or wood-fired pizzas. However most of the restaurants were the typical ones that dished out a variety of regular pasta’s in different sauces or replicating the traditional pizzas from Italy. So if one was looking for a more intricate avatar of the Italian cuisine, it was almost a challenge. Considering how much Chennaities love Italian food and also the business connection between Italy & Chennai thanks to the large leather industry has provided an opportunity for a couple of Italian fine dine restaurant to start shop.

One such restaurant that recently went a grandeur makeover is ‘Prego’ at one of the prestigious hotels in Chennai, the Taj Coromandel. With a new young and talented Chef Luca at the helm of the kitchen, Prego has truly created an impression. When a restaurant of such calibre decides to throw in a colourful pasta festival highlighting what distinct flavours make up coloured pastas, it was something not to be missed. 

(Chef Luca at his Workshop)

(Different Shapes of Green Basil Pasta)

Prego is currently running a ‘Festa Della Pasta’ which literally means ‘Feast of Pasta’, introduces us to the different types of coloured pastas. And by colour it isn’t the sauce we are talking about instead the pasta itself. The evening started off with a small master class by the chef himself where he provided us with a live demonstration of how pastas are rolled and shaped. Once we were awestruck at the pace at which he was dolling out pastas, we just couldn’t wait to get our hands on them.

(Potato beignets with goat cheese cream, tomato coulis, leek puree and some caramelized cherry tomato)

(Truffle scented provolone and Leek soup)

(Ortolana and Feta Cheese)

The five course meal began with an Amuse Bouche. We were served with ‘Potato beignets with goat cheese cream, tomato coulis, leek puree and some caramelized cherry tomato’ to top it off. The beignets were crispy on the crust while delicately soft inside. The combinations of dips gelled well with the dish and the presentation was top notch accurately reflecting the passion of the creator. This was followed by a fantastic ‘Truffle scented provolone and leek soup’ along with an ‘Ortolana and feta cheese’ pizza. The soup was delectably light and creamy providing a very comforting environment for the rest of the course that was to follow. On the same tone, the pizza that was served was thin enough to hold the weight of the toppings yet was very light. The fresh ingredients had a tremendous impact on the flavour which made it outstanding.

(Tomato flavoured Tagliolini Pasta tossed with fresh Basil Sauce)

(Flavoured Lasagna layered with Beef Bolognaise)

This was followed by a sort of mini main courses. My choices for the evening were one each from the vegetarian and non-vegetarian menu. I chose ‘Tomato flavoured Tagliolini pasta tossed with fresh Basil sauce’ for the vegetarian variant and a ‘Flavoured Lasagna layered with Beef Bolognaise’ for the non-vegetarian dish. To start with the tomato flavoured pasta was extremely flavourful with short burst of tomato hitting you ever subtly as you dwell in the basil sauce and the crunchy vegetables that accompanied the course. The topping of pine nuts helped provide a good textural balance between the pasta and the veggies. Just writing about the next dish makes my palate go gaga. I just have one thing to say about the ‘Beef Bolognaise Lasagna’ here at Prego, mind blazingly amazing. The best lasagne I’ve ever had by a huge distance. This particular lasagne has redefined my standard for Lasagna and I’m sure to be heading here more than often as lasagnas are my favourite Italian food. The pasta sheets were of perfect thickness and it was delight to watch the Lasagna which was demoulded hold it shape till the very last spoon. There were bits of crunch in the sauce which was surprising and assume was because of the way the beef was cooked. It was just WOW!!!

(Stuffed Chicken with Cheese Sauce)

(Goat Cheese and Spinach Ravioli in a Saffron Sauce)

After having such a gastrorgasm, I was least interested on what was to follow as my mind was all set on when to come again to savour the amazing lasagne again. However as part of the evening, we had to continue our meal course and I was provided with a choice of catch of the day or a stuffed chicken. Being someone who is very choosy on seafood, I went in for the stuffed chicken. Not too sure if it was the Lasagna effect or what, I felt the chicken wasn’t as great as I would have expected it to be. To me it was a bit on the dry side but the disappointments were only with the meat as the accompanying cheese sauce and the potato sides were flavourful. I don’t know how the potatoes are called but it was in the form of thin slices apparently marinated or soaked in some sauce that gave it a truly unique taste. I would have loved to gorge on it all evening. With all this happening, Chef Luca decided to throw us a surprise and dished out one of Prego’s most sought after dish from their regular menu, the ‘Goat Cheese and Spinach Ravioli in a Saffron sauce’. No wonder it is the sought after dish as the ravioli’s were packed with some amazing flavours with the saffron sauce being the gloss on the flavours contained with the ravioli.

(Bitter Chocolate Flavoured Lasagna)

(Chef Luca’s Deconstructed Tiramisu)

To bring closure to the evening, we were served with two desserts, one which is a stronghold of any Italian restaurant, the ‘Tiramisu’ while the other dessert for the evening was from the Festa Della Pasta menu, namely the ‘Bitter Chocolate flavoured Lasagna’. Every time I see chocolate lasagne or pasta on TV or online forums, I always wondered when someone would dish one up in Chennai. So being uber excited dwelled into it first. I found the lasagne didn’t have as much bitter as I was expecting as the dish had bitter on it but nevertheless was a fantastic dessert and made my first experience of chocolate pasta a memorable one. Now coming back to the Tiramisu, the version we were presented with was a modern interpretation of the classic. Aptly named ‘Chef Luca’s deconstructed Tiramisu’, the dish had all elements that made it a winner just with a glance. Apart from structural differences, the other major difference from the traditional variant was that the ladyfinger biscuit was swapped with an equally soft and chewy sponge. The espresso drizzle provided the kick that was required along with the other elements to authentically replicate the same flavours as the original. This tiramisu is now officially on my ‘Must have Desserts list of Chennai’. To realize that we were taken on such a gastronomical tour by a Chef who was all of 27 is sure to make us introspect on how talented people can become at very young ages.

The ‘Festa della Pasta’ is on till the 19^th of July, 2015 at Prego – Hotel Taj Coromandel located in Nungambakkam. An A La Carte meal for two should cost about ₹ 3000 - ₹ 5000 depending on the number of courses. You can also select one of their pre-set course meals that start from about ₹ 1500 per person for a 3 course meal.

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Haleem and Iftar Pack - Daawat a Biryani

After beginning the Ramadan Iftar series with the review of Pista House Haleem, this time around wanted to check out on the Iftar fare from a non conventional place that serves one of the best home delivered Biryani in Chennai. Among the non conventional outlets, Daawat Biryani's Iftar menu seemed to have caught my attention well before others. Knowing that food from Daawat Kitchen can rarely be disappointing, decided that their Iftar pack would be my first pack of the season.

As always went through their offerings and placed my ordered on the previous evening for a Haleem Combo and an Iftar pack. Although you just need to order one out of their three combos for them to deliver, I wanted to get a broader overview of their fare and hence ordered for the above two combos. As highlighted in my first post of the Ramadan Iftar series, the review style will be crisp and on the following parameters.

Quantity:

First up the Haleem combo consisted of 500ml of Haleem and 5 pcs of medium shaped triangle Mutton Kheema samosa. The Iftar pack comprised of about 175ml Haleem, 2 nos of Kheema samosas, 3 nos of Chicken kebabs, a Chicken roll, Phirni and 150ml of Ice Lemon tea. 

Quality:

First things first, the Haleem looked considerably different to what I've so far known to as Haleem. I've been having Haleem for quite a few years now with some of them being hand brought by family when they fly down from Hyderabad just to let you know that I'm no stranger to it. The Haleem was very thin and watery as compared to the rich and gluggy authentic ones. To be honest the consistency was more of a hardened curry rather than the one that is synonymous with Haleem. It was also much lighter in colour as I was able to make a comparison with another Haleem that I carried over from the previous evening. Having a total of about 675ml of Haleem, I resorted to some kitchen experiments to get the consistency right. After reducing it for about 10 minutes with a vented pot, I was able to get a texture comparable to the traditional ones. However this Haleem was devoid of any bones and was to an extent flavourful minus the extra work I needed to do in order to overcome the runny consistency and get the true feel of having Haleem.

The mutton samosas were quite flavourful but would have liked it to be packed with more filling for the price being paid for it. The wrappers used for also great as inspite of being cold during the delivery, it didn't turn very soggy. The Chicken kebabs were a complete miss for me as the kebab was completely dried out and provided a sort of fine dusty texture on the palate. It was just too dry. On the contrary the Chicken roll was spot on. I loved the filling and the succulent parotta that was used to make the roll all added to the flavour. The roll was big enough for a person to consume and felt it to be the best item in the Iftar pack. 

As for the drink, the lemon ice tea there is nothing much to elaborate excepting that it was just about 150ml which in no way could be a sufficient quantity for a fasting person. Coming to the dessert in the pack, the Phirni unfortunately was again a major let down. Don't know if it was the packaging or what but when I transferred it to a bowl, it fell into it as a big ball. It had become way to thick and lost the complete feel of the semi liquid phirni that one craves for. As I had to scoop it out rather than spoon it, felt that it was a tad too high on sweetness level. However because of how it had turned too by the time it reached my place, I decided to do away after a few mouthfuls.

Price:

The Haleem combo is priced at ₹ 375 while the Iftar pack is priced at ₹ 295. Delivery charges are extra and for Kilpauk it was ₹ 55. 

Felt the pricing to be higher in comparison to the average price in the market. 500 ml of Haleem is priced at about ₹ 200-₹ 250 elsewhere. While the pricing of the Iftar pack is at the same as most other outlets, the number of items in the pack is comparatively much less here. The basic ingredient of breaking the fast which is the dates and water are not part of the Iftar pack. This coupled with a few other things leave the Iftar pack incomplete and wanting for more. Adding to this, the delivery charge, I felt just inflated the overall pricing because if the food was top notch it wouldn't have pinched so much.

Packaging:

The overall packaging was good except for the juice and dessert. The Haleem came in a sturdy container while the samosa and kebabs were boxed in an aluminium box. The roll was wrapped in the usual wrapper. However the Ice tea came in the form of a pouch knotted with rubber bands which was a big big disappointment.The same was the case with the phirni too. I seriously believe the packaging of the phirni had a major role in how it was perceived by me.

Rating:

• Quantity - 3/5
• Quality - 2.5/5
• Price - 2.5/5
• Packaging - 3/5

Overall I felt a bit disappointed as the high expectation I had keeping in mind how awesome their awesome is was definitely not matched by their Iftar offering.

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