Crowne Plaza Today Gurgaon
celebrated the famed Chettinad Cuisine of South India over the last two weeks.
The last two days are left and lovers of authentic South Indian flavours can
still savour the fragrant and aromatic curries until tomorrow night at Café G,
their coffee shop.
The hotel has a prolific track record as far as food promotions go, organising almost 2-3 per month. This time round we were welcomed with a fuchsia profusion at the entrance with marigold flowers adorning their salad bar chandelier area. It is amazing how they transform the look of the restaurant every time. In the seafood festival deep blue serviettes gave the appearance of sail boats deep in the sea. This time it was bright canary yellow serviettes with a rustic table appointment.
Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine
of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. The Chettiar
community, who are a majority in this region, are a very successful trading
community. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in
India. Now let me clarify that when we say 'spice' it doesn't always mean hot or with lots of chilly but the aroma of freshly ground spices that actually help you savour food without unnecessary oil or cream or butter, items North Indian chefs often add to food to make it tasty.
Chettinad cuisine is famous for
its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food.
The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas. They also use a
variety of sun dried meats and salted vegetables, reflecting the dry environment
of the region. The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, crab, chicken and lamb.
Chettiars do not eat beef and pork.
Most of the dishes are eaten with
rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais
and idlis. The Chettinad people through their mercantile contacts with Burma,
learnt to prepare a type of rice pudding made with sticky red rice.
Chettinad cuisine offers a
variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Some of the popular vegetarian
dishes include idiyappam, paniyaram, vellai paniyaram, karuppatti paniyaram,
paal paniyaram, kuzhi paniyaram, kozhakattai, masala paniyaram,adikoozh,
kandharappam, seeyam, masala seeyam, kavuni arisi & athirasam.
I personally liked their
starters, a wonderful barbecued chicken with red marination and that raw spice
taste that hits you instantly.
The appam with veg stew was truly
flavorful and actually did not need anything else with it. The use of okra in a
tangy curry(Kai Kari Mandi) is also I find appealing in south Indian cuisines
as I am pretty bored of the north Indian Bhindi Do Piazas of the world!![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD7T0qxv4t7Z3K1rSPsFkBxpvbT-CWeX9XMlz8WvEq6zFTioZ8eMgJCKjvIliiCDJUFOFzGppNDFfv4Nj28vOOsl7-NJHFoRj4QJ7eGoThCj7CAYIV7CIKfndPOm1jMZR53iaI8bXkEJM/s400/IMG_6828.JPG)
In the non veg, the lamb chops
(Kari Chops Masala)were highly recommended by everybody. But I personally loved
the fish. It is the kind of fish curry fix every seafood lover craves for.
Tangy, flavourful curry(Meen Koshambu) with some no-nonsense fish. You could
have it with plain rice or this out of the world rice full of herbs called
Karivepila Sadam.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuX4xju_Z7IxUxzT2TpPwVvjv1t1WjPtA4n1vLK-Zd3VwWBJJ-u290VSytKggpjA6vbaptQqRZVWaOhUAjln9eNT_AWUPvMNKaKRuWgeS84AUQSFfefbSCaoebIcZAjVbcBNcyNosd8xF8/s400/IMG_6845.JPG)
For desserts a lentil payasam oozing with the goodness of jaggery found
place of pride with the usual buffet fare of Café G which as it is sumptuous.
All in all a wonderful meal with just the right balance of elements.
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