The Cuisine of Vijayanagara at Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia
One thing that has remained constant in Bangalore is the city’s unflinching love for good food. Its rich culinary heritage may be blamed for the city’s endless passion for sumptuous and lavish cuisines. History wistfully stands as a reminder of exquisitely created dishes that marked the reign of the Cholas, the Chalukyas, and the Wodeyars. Every dynasty influenced the food in their own distinctive ways, handing down secret recipes from one generation to another, creating a curiosity for foods, flavours, and aromas that continue to interest the foodies of the city to this day.
Guided by the maxim of benevolently accepting every culture, Bangalore’s social and cultural landscape went through a transformational overhaul as IT companies and BPOs firmly set their feet in the city. It led to a notable change in the lifestyles of its people as they began looking for easier alternatives for almost everything ~ the things they used every day, to the food they ate. And so, the traditional cuisine of the South that required arduous cooking and a true passion for good food retracted gently into the shadows of a handful of restaurants and households.
In an attempt to bring them back into the spotlight, Cubbon Pavilion, the award-winning restaurant at ITC Gardenia presents “Vijayanagara Feast” under the aegis of “Kitchens of India ~ Unique Tastes”. It is a revival of the magnificence of the royal cuisines of a country that associates itself very closely with its foods. This festival is a celebration of the grand spreads on the royal dinner tables of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is a beautiful reminder of our rich and glorious past ~ a journey in history through food.
From the most powerful kingdom in its time and a culinary celebration in its own right, “The Cuisine of Vijayanagara” as re-imagined by Cubbon Pavilion, is a tempting collaboration of South Indian traditions which make way for an excellent selection of historically renowned dishes. The prudent use of a spectrum of spices and some fabled ingredients, makes this regal dinner buffet alluring for the eyes and enticing for the stomach. Royal signature dishes that have found their way to the feast include Mamsa Sukka Chops, Nati Koli Saaru, Kadabu, and Gullorige.
Having sampled the variety of delicacies on offer I do not doubt that this stately spread is the result of the meticulous work done by an entire team of chefs, cooks, Public Relations officers as well as food and beverage heads, who rack their brains for the most creative ideas and innovative themes which result in tasting sessions, selections and a whole lot more.
Chef Yogen with Chef Mahadev
Chef Mahadev with PR Manager Simonti Majumdar and Raghav Wanchoo
Chef Mahadev with Raghav Wanchoo
There’s a lot that has been said about food, but I love the way its vast reach is described in an anonymous quote that goes, “Food is as much about History as it is about Geography.” The Cuisine of Vijayanagara is a brilliant example of how history and geography shaped food choices; the creations and the use of ingredients and herbs in a cuisine. It also marks the flexibility with which the cuisine adapted recreations of its recipe with small additions and subtractions made by rulers, royal cooks, and chefs who wanted to score a perfect ten for their dishes. Today, it may not be present in the same form or taste as it began with, but the flavours have lingered from one generation to another, small changes adapting the recipe to the new palette but continuing to bear the authenticity of its regal past.
My Favourites: Kaima Unde Bartad, Tondakai Pallya Urida Mamsa and Gullorige.
Balakkai Vada
{Fried dumplings of raw banana}
Koli Menasakai
{Dry chicken preparation with red chilies and spices}
Kaima Unde Bartad
{Dumplings of lamb and coriander}
Ennai Badanakai
{Brinjal cooked in a roast peanut, tomato, and tamarind gravy}
Tondakai Palya
{Dry preparation of Ivy gourd with fresh coconut and red chilly}
Bele Menthe
{Yellow lentil with fenugreek leaves}
Kothimiri Koli Saaru
{Chicken in a coriander and coconut gravy}
Meen Huli
{Fresh sear fish cubes cooked with tamarind and tomatoes}
Mavinakai Annam
{Raw mango rice}
Koli Pulao
{Chicken cooked with rice and spices}
To conclude: “The Cuisine of Vijayanagara” celebrates the culinary past of the kingdom in its true essence with the least of changes incorporated only to enhance the flavours keeping every recipe as original as possible. So, make your reservations at the ITC Gardenia and experience a culinary feast fit for the royals!
Getting there: Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia, # 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru 560025
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the hotel, and is a narrative of the author’s experience at the event. Due judgment and care have been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review.