Kodava Food Fest @ Taj ClubHouse

I have been to Coorg only once during my college days, but the awesome place still remains in my mind. But I couldn’t remember having any coorgi dishes when I was there. When I got an invite to sample the authentic coorgi food fest at Taj ClubHouse, I was very much looking forward to it.

Chef Naresh from Vivanta by Taj – Coorg, was here in town to put together the menu for the Kodava food fest and joining Chef was Smitha Kuttayya, a Chennai-based Coorg cuisine expert. Smitha took us throiugh the entire experience explaining the heritage of the cuisine and recipes. Coorg, being a part of Western ghats is a haven of spices, and the cuisine is an indicator of just well the abundance of spices and rice influences the region. For me the cuisine reminded me some dishes from my own hometowns of Kerala. In so many ways, the dishes are similar with the malayali recipes, only sans the coconuts.

Starters were deep roasted mushrooms, fish and raw bananas, and a spicy roasted chicken. The juicy chicken was too good, and I liked the fish cutlets. Mushrooms and raw bananas were tasty and light.. Then came aadkal soup. Not as same as the regular aattukaal soup, but a much more delicious version.

Next came the main course line-up for two different puttus, akki otti, pandi fry, pulao, a spinach dish and a sprouts curry. Puttus were delicious and were of different textures. They can be eaten without a curry too. Akki otti, the rotis made rice flour was a hard reminder of the pathiris from Malabar and I loved having it with the pork fry. The yummiest combo of the lot. I was lost their yumminess that I didn’t have much of the spinach and sprouts.

Next-up were Cardamom custard and Akki payasam. Cardamom custard was the caramel custard on a high-spice diet of Cardamoms. I really loved the flavor. Akki payasam was light and yummy, a dessert which again transported me to my home towns.

Enough of my rants, let the pictures speak.