CELEBRATIONS -- 18:

CHETTINAD FOOD FESTIVAL AT TAJ SAVOY OOTY

P S SUNDAR

The Taj Savoy Hotel in Ooty which sports an English ambience due to its historic lineage with the British who constructed the buildings way back in 1820s recently donned a typical Tamil countenance!

“Earlier, we celebrated Pongal with a typical Tamil village-style ‘Padayal’ on all the four festival days.   We were overwhelmed with the response we received.   So, we once again, we went the Tamil traditional way, this time with a ‘Chettinad food festival’ this time for dinner”, Savoy General Manager Ritesh Choudhary told me.

“Our Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj came out with an elaborate Menu with description on each item so as to help guests, especially non-Tamils and foreigners, understand the significance of each besides tasting it thus linking it with the culture of Chettinad homes”, he explained.

The Menu was as under::

“We prepared the food as done traditionally in the kitchens of Chettiar families in Chettinad.  The delicacies were slow-cooked in earthen pots.  We had displayed such pots in The Dining Room itself where we had drawn a traditional Kolam (rangoli) as done in Chettinad homes”, Food and Beverage Manger Om Prakash disclosed.

“More importantly, our men staff persons donned dhothi and shirt while women staff, saree creating the typical Tamil Chettinad ambience.  This itself kindled a lot of discussion among the foreigners on the Tamil culture”, he said.  

“We displayed the food in mud pot on tastefully cut plantain leaves”, said Executive Chef Arun Mohanraj.

“Every food item had a Chettinad link like Murungai Ilai Charu or Kozhi Karuvepillai Rasam as soup.   For vegetarian starters, Moru Kali urundai, Pookose Aachi Varuval, Chettinad Kalan Thokku and for non-vegetarian starters, Nethili Meen Varuval, Uppu Kari and Eralu Milagu Thokku”, he disclosed.

“For the main vegetarian dishes we had Urulai roast, Keerai Masial, Chettinad Vellai Kuruma, Podi Ennai Kathirikkai, Paruppu Urudai Kozhambu, while for non-vegetarian, Chettinad Kozhi curry, Kola urundai Kozhambu, Karaikudi Vanjira Meen Kozhambu”, he detailed.

“Interestingly, we also had Saiva Meen Kozhambu (vegetarian fish), a popular Chettinad-style fish curry without fish!”, he added.

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