Experience the vibrant and rustic taste of Konkani cuisine at the Konkan food festival in Chennai, featuring a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis with bold seafood flavors.
Discover the Unique Flavors of Konkani Cuisine in Chennai
( Credit to: Dtnext )
Chennai is known for its diverse culinary offerings, with various regional cuisines making their mark in the city. However, one cuisine that remains relatively undiscovered in Chennai is Konkani cuisine. With influences from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa, Konkani cuisine offers a unique and rustic taste that is sure to captivate food enthusiasts.
Executive Sous Chef Lokesh Ekambaram explains that Konkani cuisine is characterized by a perfect blend of spiciness, sweetness, and sourness, with a strong presence of coconut and coconut oil. Key ingredients in this cuisine include Byadgi chilli, known for its unique color and flavor profile, as well as cumin, pepper, and kokum. Kokum, sourced mainly from the Western Ghats and states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, and Goa, acts as a souring agent in many Konkani dishes.
Experience the Konkan Food Festival at Hilton Chennai
To introduce diners to the flavors of the Konkan region, Hilton Chennai is hosting a Konkan food festival featuring two thali menus. The festival promises to evoke the vibrant flavors of coastal cuisine, with a focus on bold seafood flavors.
The festival offers both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis. The dining experience begins with a welcome drink called solkadhi, which is a mildly spiced sour berry extract mixed with coconut milk. Accompanying the thalis are a variety of flavorful condiments, including kochla nonche, a grated mango pickle, and amboli chutney.
Delight in the Vibrant Flavors of the Thalis
In the vegetarian thali, the starters include mushroom madul, bhajleli paneer, and kelphulachi vade. For non-vegetarians, the talaleli sungte, a dry-fried Malwani prawn, is a must-try. Other seafood dishes include squid tossed with local Goan spices and kori ghee roast, a flavorful dish that pairs perfectly with the Konkani tawa chicken pulao.
Moving on to the main course, each dish showcases distinct flavors. The stuffed brinjal cooked in a peanut-based gravy is a novel and delicious addition to the vegetarian thali. Other vegetarian options include Goan kurma bhaji, Konkani tendli sukhe, kala vatanachi rassa, and moong and palak chi kichdi. These gravies are served alongside vastad roti, pav, and poi, a traditional Goan bread made with equal portions of maida and wheat.
For non-vegetarians, the non-veg thali features dishes such as kolhapuri tamba rassa, a rich lamb curry, and Konkani kurle ambat, a spicy coconut gravy with crab. The kane rava fry is an additional seafood delicacy. The thali also includes sannas and vegetable gassi, a Mangalorean dish consisting of yeast-fermented steamed rice cakes served with a mixed vegetable curry cooked with beige chilli, coconut, and onion.
Indulge in Delectable Konkani Desserts
To satisfy the sweet tooth, the Konkan food festival offers desserts such as jackfruit payasam, kathre pitta duddali (a jaggery halwa with arrowroot), and coconut barfi.
Don't Miss the Konkan Food Festival in Chennai
If you're in Chennai and looking to explore the lesser-known Konkani cuisine, head over to Ayna at Hilton Chennai. The Konkan food festival is running until March 10, offering a delightful journey through the flavors of the Konkan region. Don't miss out on this opportunity to indulge in the bold and unique tastes of Konkani cuisine.