POUSH: The Essence of Kashmiri Pandit Cuisine

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Every meal has only thought me and given me more insights into this wonderful cuisine and the culture associated with it. My assumption until very recent was that wazwan was synonymous with Kashmiri cuisine. Not true at all, and I'm so glad that doesn't hold good. Very recently, I was exposed to and learnt about the Kashmiri Pandit cuisine.

Are you thinking 'Vegetarian'? No way; then what's the difference?

Wazwan is a food feast associated with the Kashmiri muslims while Poush is the feast of Kashmiri Pandits. Kashmiri Pandits are also known as Kashmiri Brahmins. While brahmins in other parts of India do not consume meat, here Kashmiri Brahmins / Pandits enjoy their mutton, lamb and fish. This is just not sufficient to differentiate but let's move on.

With this community scattered and the cuisine and it's heritage in danger of passing into oblivion; it is a great initiative taken up by ITC Gardenia under the aegis of Kitchens of India to create an experience and spread the love for this exquisite cuisine 'POUSH - The essence of Kashmiri pandit cuisine'.

Spearheading this magnificent food festival from it's roots is master chef Suman Kaul who hails from the very land known as 'Paradise on Earth'. After having presented the finesse for her cuisine at ITC Rajputana; ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad; ITC Mughal, Agra; ITC Grand Central, Mumbai and other ITC properties across the length and breadth of India; master chef Suman Kaul is here at ITC Gardenia's Cubbon Pavilion stirring a storm until the 16th of August.

The food festival started with a bang with Area General Manager Mr. Virender Razdan hosting a party to launch this treasured food festival. It was a lovely evening with spirits high both socially and from behind the bar. Appetizers mover around the hall as guests enjoyed sipping on their drinks, having food for company and an experience enhanced by the lovely Kashmiri and Sufi band.

As we began our evening, we knew we were in for a hearty and indulgent meal. Appetizers moved around the elegant Mysore Hall at ITC Gardenia as guests enjoyed conversation over some Kashmiri music, conversations and drinks.

In the mains, there were vegetarian classics like 'Nadru Yakhney' - Lotus stem simmered in a yogurt based gravy that was wonderfully flavored with Kashmiri spices; 'Aloev Chamman' - a cottage cheese / paneer delicacy; brought back memories of sharing tiffin box with a school friend who happened to be a Kashmiri. Subtle flavor is the key to making this dish a winner.

There was also 'Dum Aloo Kashmiri' - whole potatoes coated with a healthy dose of kashmiri chilies and cooked in mustard oil. I've heard it's impossible to complete a Kashmiri Pandit food spread without 'Haak'. 'Haak' are Kashmiri greens cooked in a broth that exudes aromatic flavors of the greens, cardamom and various other spices used in the making. Really light and perfectly whets the appetite for more that was on offer.

Moving on to the non-vegetarian section; there were primarily mutton, lamb and fish preparations and clearly not a trace of chicken or egg. This was intentional as chicken and egg are traditionally not the preferred meats in this cuisine. To sum up the experience; heavenly is a word that may just not do justice to the food dished out from the kitchen of master chef Suman Kaul at ITC Gardenia.

It will be disheartening or a sin to sum up the experience in a statement, so here's more about the non-vegetarian dishes:

I started with 'Mousch Aloev' - a dish where succulent lamb dumplings slow cooked over dum in a gravy that is silky in texture and rich in spices. The Kashmiri chili used in the preparation really brought out both the flavor and color. The minced lamb dumpling were perfectly seasoned and succulent; a result of the slow dum cooking.

'Mousch Aloev' was clearly declared my favourite but that does not mean other delicacies were not high up there. It's rare but each one of the dishes on offer were really high up there setting a benchmark on their own. My favourite was short lived. 'Tosch Gaade' was phenomenal and became my new favorite. Perfect tang in the curry coming from the use of tamarind and the fish was cooked to perfect tenderness in a gravy that was rich in spices and consistency.

'Naine Yakhney' involves the use of lamb meat in it's preparation. The yogurt based gravy is flavored with saffron, Kashmir spices, liberal amounts of Kashmiri chili powder, asafoetida and bay leaves among other ingredients.

As I relished the meal, I wondered how on earth a cuisine as diverse and rich as the Kashmiri Pandit cuisine could express flavors the way it did with out the use of onion and garlic in it. Surprised? I was  surprised too when master chef Suman Kaul brought this up saying, "Kashmiri Pandit food does not involve the use of onion and garlic."

Next one needs no introduction; it's Kashmiri, it's delicious; it's 'Rogan Josh'. Classic, ever favorite and down right delicious; mind you with out the use of onion and garlic. I won't say more about this.

There was the 'Yakhney Pulao' which was fragrant enough to mesmerise me and convince me that inhaling the fragrance alone for the rest of the evening was enough to feel content and satisfied. It's never that easy with me so I just dug into it and what a burst of flavors it was!

Desserts were simple stuff but really rich preperations. My pick was 'Modur Pulav' and 'Shufta'. Former being a sweet pulav laden with dry fruits and the latter was a preparation of dry fruits, honey and saffron. Both these desserts were polished off in no time and then followed by a piping hot cup of 'Kahwa' green tea with crushed nuts, strands of saffron and flavored with cinnamon, cardamom and more. There surely is no better way to end a Kashmiri meal than a cup of freshly made 'Kahwa'.

Bangalore seriously lacks a restaurant serving Kashmiri cuisine. Be it Kashmiri Wazwaan or Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, I'm in love with this cuisine that exudes a mesmerising fragrance in every dish it stands proud of. With just a day to go for this food festival, ITC Gardenia's The Cubbon Pavilion is 'THE' place to dine at for the true essence of the the Kashmiri Pandit cuisine that's curated by non other than their only Kashmiri chef 'Master Chef Suman Kaul'.

Address: No. 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru - 560025

Phone Number: +91 80 2211 9898

Bengali Food Festival @ Cubbon Pavilion, ITC Gardenia

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Not often does a hotel host a Bengali food festival; I ask why? It's a cuisine rich in history and tradition with flavors being diverse right from subtle to fiery. Essentially a culmination of 5 spices (called 'Panchphoron') - mustard, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, aniseed and black  cumin seeds the food was as authentic and homely as it can get.

Like every other festival at Cubbon Pavilion, the Indian section has been converted to offer just Bengali delicacies. However, unlike any other festival at Cubbon Pavilion, I did not even see the need to glance at any other segment or cuisine on the buffet. Such was the richness and diversity this cuisine brought to the table.

Common knowledge is that Fish, Maach  as it is called in Bengali is widely consumed in Bengali cuisine with prawns, chicken and mutton following close. I knew I'd be in for a treat even before I headed for dinner that evening. Knowing me, my Bengali friend was quite assertive and authoritative said to me, "Don't just focus on the non-vegetarian food, there's a world of vegetarian that's not to be missed."

I followed every word he mentioned and am really glad that I did. Dinner that evening was like experiencing two worlds - vegetarian and non-vegetarian all on a plate. Without much ado, I'll head straight to what I ate and enjoyed the most.

'Beguni', 'Mutton cutlets' and 'Tilapia Bajja' were served as starters. Aptly, the tilapia bajja and mutton cutlet came served with onion slivers and lime on the side. Off the two, I absolutely loved the tilapia bajja which was mildly coated with freshly pounded jeera masala and fried. Cooked perfectly, the fish though deep fried was moist, flaky and tender on the inside. The flavors of the masala was mild and did not interfere in the experience of enjoying the fish itself.

Mutton cutlets were really mild in flavor but nothing to rave about. Personally, I found the mutton filling to be scarce while potato mash took prominence. Beguni was as simple Bengali food can get - Bengal gram flour battered eggplant. It was simple and a nice way to begin the evening.

The experience only kept getting better through the evening. In mains, I followed the instructions of the chef and stuck to her food pairing recommendation. Here, it was not food pairing with wine or whisky but was what food dish to be paired with another food dish for the best experience.

My first round of mains began with the pairing of fresh, hot and fluffy luchi with 'Alur Dum' and 'Misthi Doi' on the side. I went ahead and also helped myself with a 'Rosgulla' as well out of temptation. 'Alur Dum' was whole baby potatoes floating in a thick and spicy gravy perfect for the hot luchi. A perfect finish to sooth the palate was the combination of fresh Misthi doi on side.

The next round in mains comprised of the 'Kosha Mangsho pulao' and 'Murgi Jhol'. Murgi jhol as the name suggests was a thin curry with chicken and baby potatoes in it. Subtle yet well present flavors was a highlight of this dish. The mutton pulao was well balanced in flavor and the meat was tender and complimented well in enhancing the flavor of the pulao.

What I looked forward to was this next round. Steamed rice soaked with the nice and light 'Maacher Jhol' and accompanied by semi dry prawns, banana stack in curry and a semi dry aloo pawral vegetable. Eating all of this on one plate was nothing short of a feast and probably for the first time I had so many vegetarian preparations on my plate. Absolutely loved the experience and as I ate, it only felt like any experience a non-bengali might have when visiting a Bengali household as a guest.

I was wishing for the festival to be extended beyond the planned schedule but I know for sure, it's going to make a come back in the near-term. I will look forward to it so that I can visit again for a wonderful Bengali food experience and also to update you so we can share the same experience.

Address: No. 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru - 560025

Phone Number: +91 80 2211 9898

Time Travel through the Food @ Ottimo - ITC Gardenia, Bangalore

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With over a year into operations, the highly acclaimed and award winning restaurant has been a delight to visit. With memories of my first meal here still fresh and alive on my mind; I was most certain that this visit will only create more memories. Expectations were set knowing that Chef Vittorio Greco was at the helm of things and a festival was curated to specifically make diners travel through time; from classic to contemporary.

At Ottimo, ITC Gardenia; it is hard to decide if the restaurant brings out the vibrancy in Chef Greco or it is Chef Greco's vibrancy that results in the vibrancy of the restaurant. 'Vibrancy' a term most often used in relation to ambiance; here seamlessly extends to the service, food being dished out of the kitchen, the plating and the complete experience itself.

Getting back to the food at this festival aptly named 'The Art of Time Travel', Chef Vittorio works his magic in a whole new way by curating two experiences on one single plate - the traditional versus the modern or reinvented new-age Italian cuisine. Every course that arrived was a delight in every sense and also to every sense one can experience at a steal price of Rs. 2250 ++ which also includes a glass of domestic wine or beer.

With a special menu crafted and personalized for me, I couldn't help but just looked forward to starting the experience with 'Antipasto' which was 'Insalata di Pollo' - a classic and a modern take on this signature Italian salad. This was one dish that gave me a hard time deciding which was better. One version was just topped with capers providing for a nice salty and briny zing to the subtle chicken salad and the other was topped with pickled vegetables like asparagus, broccoli and more for that nice crunch in every bite. 

'Primi Piatti' or 'Primo' is a course known to have a pasta preparation and is usually a course served hot. My pick from the non-vegetarian choices in this course was Lamb Ravioli artistically prepared and presented to showcase a classic and modern take of this Italian favorite. The lamb in the ravioli was clearly treated with a lot of love. The contemporary version was served as a long roll of lamb ravioli topped with the broccoli coulis or sauce and a drizzle of garlic dusting.

In vegetarian, I got to try the classic spinach and ricotta cheese stuffed ravioli. A quick look at it and you might just not spot the difference but a closer look and you realize that the classic had just the one pocket that contained the stuffing of spinach and ricotta cheese prepared together while the modern had 2 compartments - one for the spinach and the other for the ricotta. The difference might seem really subtle but making this wasn't a cake walk. Likewise, the modern and classic versions also felt very different in terms of taste and texture. While the classic version is a favorite world over, I loved the modern take for the dense texture and clearly different flavors of the ricotta and spinach being prominently felt.

The wines we stuck to all through the evening was the smooth and creamy Fratelli Sangiovese Bianco and the rich and oaky Fratelli Sangiovese.

The next course 'Secondo Piatto' is considered the main dish of an Italian meal structure. There was a classic and reinvented version of 'Seabass Livornese. While both were great and the flavor composition was really different, I loved the modern take on this dish for the flavors of the prime ingredients - fish and the deconstructed sauce were distinctly felt on the palate. 

The difference between the two versions? The classic version of this dish came as fish fillet and the delicious sauce of tomato, olives, pepper, olive oil cooked together while the modern came as a deconstructed version with the sauce topped with olives, herbs, and other ingredients with the fish cooked all by itself which helped it retain the flavors of the sea. 

Another non-vegetarian option for those who do not enjoy seafood as much was the 'Chicken Caccaitora' where again the modern version stood out for me. It was chicken stuffed with vegetables and base ingredients like tomato, onion and garlic which make the sauce. Served on a bed of velvety mashed potatoes; I absolutely enjoyed this dish.

Continuing on 'Secondo' was also a vegetarian classic 'Puttanesca' a dish famed in South of Italy. A classic version uses spaghetti as the pasta tossed in a sauce of onions, tomatoes, olive oil, capers and olives that give it a salty flavor. The modern take used risotto instead of the spaghetti and was again a deconstructed form. This is inspired from the food habits of North Italy where risotto is widely consumed. While I love risotto and this deconstructed form tasted as delicious as the classic; I'll go the classic way on this dish.

The classic & my pick

Dolce was something I waited for through my meal. There was coffee written all over it. 2 versions of the ever delicious 'Tiramisu'; It couldn't have gotten better. The modern take was a deconstructed version served as a dome filled essentials to make a delicious tiramisu and surrounded with espresso, coffee beans, crumbed lady finger biscuits etc. Which was better? Both... It contained coffee. :)

If you thought this was the end of our meal; it clearly wasn't. We had to finish it with a coffee made the way Italians make it each day at home - Espresso made in moka pots. Simply delicious!

Dining at Ottimo is an experience and with the festival being hosted by Chef Vittorio; it's clearly an icing on the cake. Do make sure you manage a visit by the 2nd of June as the festival is till the mentioned date. This time travel through the cuisine of Italy comes at a lovely price of Rs. 2,250++ which also includes a glass of wine or beer.

Address: ITC Gardenia, 1, Residency Road, Bangalore

Phone Number: +91 80 4345 5140 

Vivid Hues of Gujarat - A Gujarati Food Festival @ ITC Gardenia, Bangalore

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Gujarat as a state has seen tremendous growth in the past decade. In spite of a vast coastline and clearly having a possibility of abundance seafood; Gujarat is a state mostly celebrates vegetarianism. Widespread Jainism is a major influence on the culture prevalent among the people of Gujarat and their eating habits. It's a cuisine that has been spreading through the length and breadth of the country which is testimony of it's flavors, variety, simplicity and the love people have for this regional cuisine.

Gujarati cuisine has always enjoyed the limelight and attention, in particular in the recent times with our Prime Minister - Mr. Narendra Modi being a Gujarati himself and the food making it to the State dinners. Inspired by it growing popularity and demand, ITC Gardenia is showcasing and celebrating the Hues of Gujarat at the Cubbon Pavilion in the form of a Gujarati food festival.

Like any other Indian food festival held here, the Indian section of the vast global buffet spread was dedicated to the brilliant regional Gujarati cuisine. Unlike any other food festival that I have dined at; this one had a really extravagant spread of Gujarati food with over 35 Gujarati delicacies on offer. On till the 17th of May, the food is as authentic as it can get and can leave you spoilt for choice. 

A complete set up had been specially created to pay tribute to 'Farsan' the snacks that the Gujarati's swear by. A typical breakfast at a Gujarati home on Sunday is not complete without these. To name a few on offer were khandvi, fafda, jalebi, patra, assortment of mixtures, bhakarwadi and of course dhokla's with a side of chili.

What's gujarati food without ragda patties, kachori with chutneys poured onto it and thepla! Made on request at the live counters, these were delicious and only added to the feel of Gujarati food. 

I looked forward to the mains which composed of some of Puja's and my favourites. The real deal lies in the simplicity of this cuisine with dishes like 'Sev Tamatar', 'Gujarati Ghate ki Kadhi', 'Bhindi Sambhariya' and a dish without which a Gujarati meal is clearly incomplete - 'Khichdi'. The preparation was simple and so were the flavors yet successfully exuding a heart-warming experience. 

Known for it sweet and spice balance, the spread also included the famous 'Undiya' and a curry that was wonderfully flavoured and the ingredients provided for a great texture. 'Undhiya' a mixed vegetable dry preparation is possibly one of the most complex dishes to prepare and is seasonal in nature. Worth every effort in its preparation; 'Undhiyu' as it is called in Gujarati was a delight to eat with hot and fluffy puris or rotlis that are brought fresh out of the kitchen on request.

The dessert spread was no less extravagant with a wide spread of Gujarati, Indian and international desserts. In focus at the food festival were clearly the Raj Bhog, Lapsi, Srikhand, puran poli and Anjeer Barfi to name a few.

Overall, this was a feast and a treat for us and all those who love Gujarati food; its amalgamation of sweet and spice rich flavors, the simple treats called farsans or a meal by itself 'the khichdi'.  On till the 17th of May, go enjoy the enchanting aromas and the alluring flavors of the vibrant and colourful state of Gujarat.

To make things even more interesting, Review Of Restaurants in association with Foodies in Bangalore 2 - a group started to provide a platform for foodies of Bangalore to interact, converse and share information about good food; bring to you a very special offer from ITC Gardenia to enjoy this specially curated 'Gujarati Food Festival' and a lot more that's there on offer at this extravagant buffet - 
 - Specially priced buffet at Rs. 1350 Nett per person. Inclusive of 2 glasses of Indian Red/White wines or Indian Beer
 - Offer valid till the 17th May, 2015 only for dinner (which is also when the festival is on offer)
 - To avail the offer, you need to be a member of Foodies in Bangalore 2. If you are not, please click here to become a member
 - Advance reservation is mandatory and you will need to notify that you are an FinB2 member and that you'd like to avail this special offer
 - For more details on the offer T & C please read through the pinned post on the FinB2 Facebook group

Address: No. 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru - 560025

Phone Number: +91 80 2211 9898

A Culinary Journey through the regal past of Hyderabad @ Cubbon Pavilion - ITC Gardenia, Bangalore

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I was in Hyderabad for the long weekend of Republic day. My line-up for food exploration was set and little did I know that this would extend on even after my return to Bangalore. The extension was by no means an ordinary extension; it was an exclusive 'Meet and Eat' invitation with Master Chef Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum.

Born in the Hyderabadi royal Salar Jung family and married into a royal Awadhi family, she clearly has exposure to the best of the 2 most wonderful worlds - Hyderabadi and Awadhi. You don't need to be a foodie to know what this means!

Hyderabadi food is no ordinary food and when the food comes from the kitchen of Master Chef Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum; it clearly spells 'Experience Royal'. With over 6 years of effort into crafting and mastering the royal Salar Jung recipes, she brings them to Bangalore to showcase them at ITC Gardenia's 'Cubbon Pavilion' till 1st Feb, 2015. To me it clearly means, 'Dawat-e-Khas - A Culinary Journey through the regal past of Hyderabad'.

Having arrived early I witnessed the lids on the buffet counter go open. In no time the aroma of various preparation filled the air. I took a quick sneak peak at what's on offer and settled down right away with a platter of kebabs and a glass of lovely red wine.

In a short time, we were joined by master chef Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum for dinner. Over a wonderful meal comprising of a lot of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies like kebabs, salan, haleem, pulao and more; we interacted on various topics which included her childhood, her food, biryani vs pulao, Hyderabadi vs Awadhi cuisine, food nuances in a royal family, evolution of the Hyderabadi food scene and more.

Over to my meal, the flavors were exquisite, meat really tender and succulent, gravies very rich and the spread in a word - 'Lavish'. The buffet spread offers cuisines from world over and it is the Indian section that is dedicated to Dawat-e-Khas - signature preparations by the master chef herself.

I really looked forward to the mains and when I did get to it, I hit it off with her signature preparation 'Haleem. Haleem was really light in color, mildly spiced allowing the flavor of the meat to stand out, the consistency was really rich - a result of the royal cooking techniques. The richness came from the use of high quality ingredients, dry fruits and meat. Top it with fried onion lime and voila 'A meal by itself'. It was a haleem like no other I've eaten before.

I also tried and loved the 'Lasooni jhinge';  a semi gravy preparation of shrimps, tomato, garlic, mustard seeds, shahi jeera and loads of curry leaves to bring out the flavor. Turai murgh again a semi gravy dish was bang on attractive in flavors. 

Lasooni Jhinge

Turai Murgh

I also tried the Fish kofta salan which was creamy in texture, rich in flavor and had a nice tang to it. The fish kofta was moist and flavorful. This preparation I best enjoyed with the very simple steamed rice.

What had me stunned this evening was the Mutton Hapsi Pulao. It was an excellent fragrant preparation with the mutton melting in my mouth. The rice used was a nice long grained rice and the spice blend along with the sweetness coming from saffron and some secret ingredients had me dumb struck for a moment. With the last weekend spent in Hyderabad over multitude of excellent biryanis, this clearly surpassed each of them. Now come to think of it, biryanis in Hyderabad versus this hapsi pulao; the pulao clearly wins for me.

There was a wonderful spread of vegetarian food as well both as a part of the buffet on the whole and also specific to Dawat-e-Khas segment. Here's a pictorial representation of the same.

For dessert, there was again a large spread but what I did try was just the Dawat-e-Khas section. With all the food downed, even an attempt to try the dessert seemed a task; but I had to. There was Thuli which was a nice and sweet halwa preparation, ande ki lauz, kala jamoon and a meethi pakodi which was a gulab jamoon baked with rabdi.

It indeed seemed like a food festival and with master chef Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum one thing is for sure - She takes her food festivals very seriously and ensures that not a single dish is repeated over the span of the festival being hosted. This means over a span of 10 days of the food festival - 

 - There will be 1 biryani and 9 pulao each for vegetarians and non-vegetarians dished out. Guess what! All of these of Hyderabadi cuisine. Did you even know if 10 types of pulao/biryani existed in Hyderabadi cuisine?

 - In the mains too, there will be at least 40 different vegetarians and non-vegetarian dishes offered.

Why should you go?

 - All of the above reasons, and

 - If you think you have eaten a lot of Hyderabadi food and enjoyed it; it's time you re-evaluate your experience with some real Hyderabadi food from the royal kitchens of Hyderabad.

The buffet is priced at Rs. 1750 plus taxes and charges. Aptly named 'Dawat-e-Khas', this festival is on only for a short duration till the 1st February, 2015 at ITC Gardenia's Cubbon Pavilion. Do visit and take a culinary journey through the regal past of Hyderabad.

Address: No. 1, Residency Road, Bengaluru - 560025

Phone Number: +91 80 2211 9898