CELEBRATIONS -- 17:

PONGAL FESTIVAL USHERS IN TRADITION AT TAJ SAVOY OOTY

BY P S SUNDAR

Pongal mood was aptly set in among the tourists, especially foreigners, at Taj Savoy Hotel, Ooty, with Pongal festivity being enacted on the lobby.  

Guests, including foreigners, enjoyed preparing Pongal in the possible traditional way there. 

“We are highlighting to our guests the significance of Pongal as the most important festival of the Tamil population, especially in rural Tamil Nadu.  Thus, our pamphlet prepared for the occasion tells the guests that Pongal is the occasion to thank Mother Nature.   During Pongal, we, in the food industry, specially thank our farmers who feed the humanity”, Ritesh Choudhary, General Manager, told me.

“Our Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj has prepared an exclusive Tamil cuisine Menu for Pongal called ‘Pongal Padayal’ with descriptions to help non-Tamil visitors, especially foreigners, link each item with the Tamil tradition including ‘prasadam’ and the festive food in rural Tamil Nadu”, he disclosed.

This was his Menu::

Pongal Padayal

Ke’pangkoozh

A healthy drink made of finger millet, shallots and yoghurt

Ven Pongal

The traditional new rice and lentil kedgeree made for the sun god

Chakara Pongal

A popular temple dessert made of rice lentil and jaggery flavoured with cardamom

Poosani Masial

A typical red pumpkin preparation made for the Sun God

Payar Kozhambu

A spicy curry made of black eyed beans, onion and tomatoes

Kai Kari Mandi

Assortment of local grown country vegetables in a thin sauce

Murungai Keerai Porial

Leaves of drumstick dry sautéed with onions, chillies, coconuts and peanut

Vazhapoo Wada

Crispy fried dumpling of banana flower and lentils flavoured with fennel, chillies, onions and coriander leaves

Sundal

A popular savoury of Gods made of black chick pea, mustard and coconuts

Peerkangai Kootu

Ridge guard cooked along with Bengal gram, coconuts and hand ground spices

Chinna Vengaya Sāmbhar

Yellow lentil preparation flavoured with shallots, curry leaves and ethnic spice blend

Thakkali Rasam

 A thin broth of tomatoes flavoured with garlic, pepper, cumin and coriander leaves

Vella Sadham

Steamed ponni rice

Puli Sadham

Steamed rice tossed with tamarind reduction flavoured with fenugreek and peanuts

Thair

Plain yoghurt

Carrot mundhiri Payasam

A dessert made of carrots cooked in milk finished with fried cashewnut and cardamom

“We are serving this ‘Pongal Padayal’ for lunch and dinner on Bhogi, Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kanum Pongal”, Food and Beverage Manager Om Prakash said who explained each item to the guests with its significance for the occasion.  

  

“The main items in ‘Pongal Padayal’ are Chakara Pongal (sweet) prepared as done in temples and Ven Pongal prepared as done by farming community to thank Sun God”, Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj explained.

“Another highlight is ‘Vazhaipoo Vadai’, a holy delicacy made with banana flower, to fulfil the concept of ‘Vadai and Payasam’ in the festive meals”, he noted.

“We are serving the rural healthy drink with finger millet ‘Keppa Koozhu’ which guests cannot generally taste in star hotels”, he said.

“Two types of cooked rice – Vella Satham (plain) and Puli Satham (tamarind) – famous in Tamil meals are also served”, he shared.

“Chinna Vengaya sambar, Payaru Kozhambu, Thakkali rasam, Peerkangai Koottu, Kai Kari Mandi (vegetable assortment), Poosani masial, Murungai Keerai Porial and Thayir are also served in the same way as prepared for Neivediyam to God during Pongal in rural Tamil Nadu”, Arum Mohanraj detailed.

“Sundal and Carrot Mundiri Payasam, also submitted to God, add to the finishing touch of our ‘Pongal Padayal’,” he observed.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

CELEBRATIONS -- 16: 

WHEN TAJ SAVOY CELEBRATED NEW YEAR WITH DESERTED CHILDREN

P S SUNDAR 

For the inmates of Mizpah Home in Ooty for deserted children, New Year on Tuesday became memorable with the executives of star-studded Taj Savoy Hotel led by General Manager Ritesh Choudhary personally visiting them and serving an elaborate lunch.

“We prepared an exclusive three-course lunch for the children with salad, soup and desserts besides a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals” Savoy Executive Chef Arun Mohan Raj told me.






This was the Menu  :: 

Green Salad

-------

Sweet corn Vegetable Soup

------

Mutton Biriyani

Chilli chicken Gravy

Vegetable Biriyani

Mixed vegetable kurma

Cauliflower Manchurian

Vegetable Hakka Noodles

Raita

-----

Boondhi Ladoo

Mixed fruit Trifle 

New Year Cake

Ice cream

 

Sonam Choudhary of “The Wish’ Oven” served them her three-kg two-tier cake crafted on the theme princess to make each of the inmate feel that he or she is a prince or princess and not a deserted or orphaned child. 

“We also had some foreign guests from Shanghai accompanying us who distributed gifts.   We gave each child a festival cap and a programme of dance to the music created for the day”, Ritesh disclosed.

The children were awe-struck to see the magnanimity of the Taj group’s Savoy hotel in interacting with them and assuring to extend all possible help throughout the year.

Mizpah Home’s Managing Trustees Mohandass and Jennifer said that this gesture proved the attachment of Savoy Hotel to the deprived.

Earlier, foreigners joined visitors from different parts of the country to usher in the New Year on Monday night at Savoy Hotel.  Elaborate dinner, dance and Groove with DJ Abbu marked the occasion.  My extensive article and many photos on this appear in this Blog as Celebrations -- 15. 

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

CELEBRATIONS -- 15:

NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS AT TAJ SAVOY OOTY GAVE NEW EXPERIENCE TO GUESTS..

BY P S SUNDAR.

New Year celebrations at Taj Savoy Hotel Ooty this year were different from the usual for various reasons.  The hotel wore a new look not just for the festivities but because of the massive improvements done to the infrastructure enhancing the guests’ delight. 

These include refurbishing the rooms with attractive flooring, ceiling, furniture and re-positioning the amenities to suit the modern taste and requirements of the international and national travellers;  the creation of a brand new ‘Canterbury Bar’, only the name and the service quality are the same – all others including the location of the bar has changed for better;  everything in the ‘Dining Room’ is new – the flooring, ceiling, wall decoration, cutlery, tables, chairs, buffet counters, some items on the Menu;   a new facility for intimate dining experience with mood light has been created adjacent to the main Dining Room;  and, a new open air lobby overlooking the expansive lawn on the one side and the heritage main building of the hotel on the other side is the first attraction the guest gets arriving at the 178 year-old campus of the hotel.

Added to these, two young Heads led the New Year celebrations for the first time after their moving over to Savoy hotel on recent transfer – General Manager Ritesh Choudhary (36) and Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj (40).

“All the rooms are full.   We have many non-resident guests also for the New Year celebrations”, Front Office Manager Thameemul Ansari told me.     

And, for the New Year celebrations per se, the campus wore a festive countenance with colourful illumination right from the entrance and decoration of all sorts.

The festive events were created in the specially erected enclosure on the lawn.  “We have created the festive tent with multi-layers to keep the inside warm and prevent noise pollution outside.   The heaters kept the inside quite warm even as the temperature outside dropped to single digit”, Ritesh told me.

The festive tent had adequate space for everything required for the occasion.  Comfortable seating and each table with flowers in vase, festival caps, masks and whistle for children;  adequate moving space;  the spread of dinner buffet accommodating nearly 100 items including several live counters; a bar serving unlimited drinks;  a platform for guests to dance and for the event presenter to stage fun activities as also centre-space for the DJ and his equipments. 

Right from the start of the festivities at 8 pm, event presenter Ayisha Abbas kept the audience engaged with many games for children, young couple, teenagers and the elderly guests.   Admittedly, with her matured approach, dashing look and captivating voice, Ayisha enlisted the participation of guests – international, national as also local residents.

Ritesh and his team of executives distributed many hampers including free stay in different Taj hotels to winners of these games as also those who won in the lucky draw contests.

And, for most part of the night, the DJ Abbu did magic with his dexterity in music presentation and motivating the guests of all ages to dance and enjoy their own performance which made the guests forget their worries and wait eagerly to usher in 2019 with energy and expectations.

That the guests enjoyed the music-mix was clearly evident from their incessant dancing.  And, Ritesh and his team of executives honoured periodically the best dancers – children, couple, adolescents etc.

Learning and Development Manager V Titus led his team in ensuring that the stage performances were in order.

Santa Claus went around presenting gifts to children..

Nearing the midnight, a huge clock appeared on the screen with DJ Abu scaling up the fever to bid farewell to 2018 and welcome 2019 with .. yes, “Happy 2019” rent the air all through, the guests, known and unknown, hugging each other and wishing for a happier year ahead with the employees of Savoy joining hands with them.

And, Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj presented an impressive New Year Cake::

The dinner buffet was so elaborate that guests could hardly taste everything on display.  There were not less than 100 items covering South India, North India, western, Chinese and continental cuisine.   

Food and Beverage Manager Om Prakash took care for pleasing display of the buffet.   

Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj and his team of Chefs not only monitored the various counters but helped the guests understand the ingredients and choose the dishes that would suit their taste and health the best.

Interestingly, there was a separate ‘kids buffet’ with ‘Panchu mittai’ (cotton candy) inviting the kids!    “We have kept this at lower height to enable kids take their food by themselves”, said Ritesh.

Arun Mohanraj captivated the buffet display with as many as 8 live counters or stations –  vegetarian, pasta, Tandoor, Madurai Mess, seafood, meat grill, suckling pig and Turkey.

The following is the Menu of the dishes on New Year buffet dinner prepared by Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj::

Salads

Vegetable Crudités with Cheese and garlic dip,  Melon and feta salad with balsamic, Grilled Vegetable Salad, Quinoa and pomegranate tabbouleh , Spinach apple and walnut salad,  Spring Vegetable salad with basil cilantro pesto, Gazpacho Salad,  Thai Cucumber salad,  Plantain and coconut salad with curried mayo, Roasted beet and sprout salad

Chicken Caesar salad, grilled lamb salad with pepper honey & sesame, Seafood cocktail salad, Tuna Salad

Olives, Rolls, Grissini, Lavas, Pickles, Raita, Pappadum, Roasted papad, chips, gherkins

Soups

Broccoli and roasted almond soup

Prawn corn basil soup

Chicken clear soup with burnt Garlic

Chaffers

Butter chicken masala

Malabari Prawn Curry

Elaichi Ghost

Rosemary Roasted chicken with jus

Singapore Chilli crab

Paneer Rizzalla

Bharwan Baingan Masala

Ramnadu Vegetable Kuruma

Methi Kofta Palak

Carrot and beans porial

Saiva Meen Kozhambu

Thakkali Murungakkai Curry

Parmesan Baked zucchini cups with chilli tomato coulis

Mushroom Paprikash

Stir fried Exotic Vegetable with ginger and green tea leaves

Cripy tofu in black pepper sauce

Dal Makhani

Rice and Breads

Onion and Mint Pulao

Vegetable Hakka Noodles

Steamed rice

Puliyodharai

Naan/ Roti/ Kerala Paratha/ Chapathi

Kids Buffet

Mini Vegetable Spring rolls

Vegetable croquettes

Chicken nuggets

Cashew fried fish

Maggi Noodles

Sugar Cotton Candy

Pass around snacks

Falafel with hummus

Paneer Amristary

Chicken 65

Fish Fingers with tartare sauce

Live Counters

Pasta Station

Choice of penne, spagattie, fuissili, with choice of cream sauce, tomato sauce, pesto sauce and bolognaise

Tandoor Station

Tandoori Quail

Makhmalai Murgh Kebab

Bhirbali Paneer Kebab

Tandoori Subzi

Madurai Mess Station

Choice of Masala Veg Dosa

Choice of Chicken and Lamb Kari Dosa

Seafood Station

Grilled Tiger Prawns

Grilled Squid

Grilled Sole fish

Grilled Baby Octopus

Fish Fillet

With choice of local, teriyaki and lemon garlic marinade

Vegetarian Station

Pav Bhaaji

Broccoli corn and cheddar quesadillas with mango and chili salsa

Meat grill station

Satay Chicken with peanut Sauce

Lamb Chops with rosemary jus and mint sauce

Suckling Pig Station 

With cranberry sauce

Turkey Station 

Roasted stuffed turkey

With jus sauce, cranberry sauce

Desserts

Gajar Halwa,  Ada Pradhaman,   Jelabi with rabadi,  Pazham Neraichadhu     pineapple tarte tatin,  Sticky Toffee Pudding, Double Ka Meetha, Apple Crumble, Chocolate brownie, Banoffee Pie, Crème Caramel,  Strawberry cheese Bavarian, Ginger and honey tartlets, Happy New Year Cake,  Cut fruits, 2 types Ice cream

Ritesh used the occasion for an interaction with the families of his executives.  “We have invited the family members to enjoy the evening.  On top of it, we have encouraged our employees to dance if they wish!’ said Ritesh who himself activated the audience and the employees with his periodical dances!

And, an young lady staff of the wellness centre, Ayurveda massage outfit at Savoy, Mol, attired in her saree uniform was the cynosure of dancing, stealing the show and receiving loud applause from the guests. 

Admittedly, Savoy gave a well-rounded beginning for a happy, prosperous and healthy 2019 ..  

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)