ITC Gardenia Presents The Uttara Kannada Stories
Kitchens of India ~ Undiscovered Legacies: Cubbon Pavilion at the ITC Gardenia presents a culinary journey of a thousand souls with the finesse of a culture as old as time ~ “The Uttara Kannada Stories”. Surrender to the subtlety of a cuisine where the focus lies on the use of aromatic spices, dry fruits, and coconut; from the famed Bhaitkol Biryanis to the Jolada Rotti.
I was invited by the lovely Vinita Bartlett to sample the cuisine on offer. Here are a few of the delicious Uttara Kannada dishes I decided to try.
The Live Grill and Neer Dosa Counter with Chef Mahadev
Tuppada Kodi Roast {Chicken Roast with Red Chilli Sauce}
A classical ghee roast prepared using boneless chicken in a marinade of desi ghee, bedgi chilli, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and curry leaf with soaked tamarind. Tawa finished with copious amounts of ghee, after being tossed with onions and tomatoes. Typically shack food, usually accompanied by a local brew.
Prawns Stuffed in Bitter Gourd
Prawns are tossed with onions, tomato and tamarind, and stuffed in cleaned out bitter gourd shells. These are then shallow fried and served.
To note: Uttara Kannada is known for a variety of seafood delicacies, where coconut and cashew nut is used extensively.
Some of the other noteworthy non-vegetarian dishes on offer are:
Kaima Unde Saaru {Meat balls in Meat Curry}
Dumplings of minced lamb spiced with green chilli, coriander, and green cardamom powder. Grated fresh ginger and gram flour is added to the minced lamb which is then shaped into dumplings. Coconut, onion, tomato, ginger garlic paste and whole red chilli is ground to a paste and cooked with lamb stock. The lamb dumplings then are cooked in a thin and brightly hued lamb stock-based gravy.
Solantlim Pork {Pork Flavoured with Roasted Spices}
This is a Portuguese influenced dish of the region where a home-styled pork stew is prepared with cumin and a bit of turmeric, with kokum being the souring agent. Served with steamed rice.
Meen Pulimunchi {Sour and Spicy Fish Curry}
A thin and spicy curry of locally used Seer fish or Mackerel is flavoured with black tamarind native to the region. Poppy seeds, onions, red chillies, and thin coconut milk are used to provide the body to the gravy.
Chef Mohan
Soppu Bele Palya {Fenugreel Leaves with Lentils Dry Curry}
Moong dal is soaked overnight, and cooked until soft. Mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves, and onion are heated in a skillet. Once the onion is soft, the greens are added and sauteed till tender. Finally, coconut is stirred in, followed by the cooked Moong.
Thondekai Godambi Palya {Tindora and Cashew Nut Stir-fry}
Tindora {Ivy gourd} and cashews are stir-fried with a special masala prepared using mustard seeds, turmeric and dry chillies, curry leaves, and chopped cilantro.
Some of the other noteworthy vegetarian dishes on offer are:
Halasina Beeja Gojju {Jackfruit Seed Curry}
Yellow chilli powder, fresh coriander, dry coconut powder are made into a paste which is tempered with curry leaf and mustard seeds in coconut oil. Jackfruit seeds are blanched in turmeric and stewed in the curry.
Mavinakayi Saaru {Raw Mango Rasam}
Ripe sindura mangoes in a curry of yogurt, cashew, and green chilli. Gently simmered to a light gravy with fresh turmeric.
Staples of the region are served with Jolada Rotti, Neer Dosa, Kadabu, Pulao etc.
Malanad Style Chicken Pulav
This Pulav is prepared by cooking vegetables separately in a Uttara Kannada style masala, to which cooked chicken is added, retaining the flavour of the masala.
Hesaru Kaalu Kadubu {Malanad Style Steamed Spiced Rice Dumplings}
These dumplings are typically stuffed with a green gram mix prepared using red chilli, coconut, curry leaves, and mustard.
Jolada Rotti: Flatbread prepared from Jola {sorghum} flour.
The Dessert Selection
Gram Lentils Burfi
Kayi Holige {Crispy Coconut and Jaggery Stuffed Flatbread}
Patholi {Turmeric Leaf Cake}
Savoury dumplings with coconut and jaggery filling, inside a thin rice batter coating. The dumplings are prepared by wrapping and steaming it inside a turmeric leaf, leaving a sweet aroma of turmeric into the Patholi giving it a unique flavor.
ITC Hotels and its restaurants are the torchbearers of India’s culinary legacy. ITC Hotels will be showcasing cuisine that highlights unique and undiscovered, royal, and forgotten aspects of the Indian culinary scape. These promotions are aptly held under the aegis of the ‘Kitchens of India’ series.
Kitchens of India Highlights:
• Undiscovered Legacies
• Unique Tastes
• Royal Repasts
• Forgotten Treasures
“The Uttara Kannada Stories” is on until 8th July 2016 at the Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia {Dinner only}. For reservations please call 080 6682 5110 or email at mytable.itcgardenia@itchotels.in
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from ITC Gardenia. Due judgment and care have been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review.