Karavalli Calling

Karavalli cooking

From finger-licking roast tiger prawns tossed in Kerala spices and Mangalorean mango curry cooked in chillies and coconut, to paper-thin neer dosas that melt in your mouth and delicious Bebinca from Goa, Karavalli from The Gateway Hotel Residency Road, Bengaluru, has set out to offer Mumbaikars mouth-watering platters of south-western coastal food at Masala Kraft at The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. And the key word at this five-day (12th to 16th July) pop-up is 'home-food'. 

“There's no trial and error, and no fusion... it's all about replicating mothers' and grandmothers' recipes, something we've been doing for the last 26 years, and transforming them into a scrumptious experience that reiterates the greatness of Karavalli, which means 'land by the shore' in Mangalorean Kannada as well as Tulu,” says Chef Naren Thimmiah, Executive Chef, The Gateway Hotel – Residency Road, Bengaluru. “These regions have enough and more to offer. But over the last few years, we've consciously started bringing about a few changes, especially in the vegetarian section. We started with generic popular dishes from the region, but soon started digging into the other not-so-well-known communities, for example the Moplah, a Muslim community from North Malabar in Kozhikode or the Syrian Christian community in Kerala; the Konkani community and the Havyaka Brahmins from the hinterlands of Mangalore; and those from the Malvan region.

Sourcing ingredients

“We don't look for vegetables, fish or meat that are exotic or different. Our main concern is, is it seasonal and is it available?” says Chef Thimmiah. We use kane (lady fish), seer (surmai or king fish) in all our curries, as well as tiger prawns, smaller prawns, scampi, lobster and crab. When it comes to the masalas “it's the same set of ingredients and spices that are used in any other part of the country. It's just that they are used in different proportions and the preparation methods change,” he adds.

Moplah Meen Biriyani, Karavalli and (Right) Allapuzha Meen Curry, Karavalli

Talking about food

Wrapped in a banana leaf, the meen eleittad — fresh black pomfret, marinated in a nice red Malabar masala and pan-fried to perfection — was love at first bite. Even for someone who dislikes fish! Tangy and slightly spicy, the Malabar masala — a typical marination of Byadgi chilli paste and lime juice — does not overpower the fish. “The chillies are first soaked in warm water and then ground until it turns into a nice, fine paste,” says Chef Thimmiah. Squeeze a little lime over it and you won't believe that a simple recipe could result in such melt-in-the-mouth goodness! 

Club the fish with the tiger prawn roast — tossed in a Kerala spice mix, tomato, ginger, green chillies, coconut slivers, lemon juice and traditional spices — and the octopus sukka — cooked in a Kundapur spice mix with grated coconut, mild Byadgi chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek, pepper corns and cumin — and you've got yourself a plate of starters to die for (if octopus does not make you squeamish). To wash it down, the Karavalli fancy ale, strawberry buttermilk with a pinch of salt was a nice smooth blend that goes well with the food, while the Karavalli Iced Tea with its cucumber and lime is a light and refreshing option with a hint of sweetness from the jaggery. 

The main course is a platter of dishes from different regions: sannas, spongy, steamed sweetish Goan rice cakes; paper-thin neer dosas and Pothi Choru, a one-dish specialty of rice cooked in ghee with chicken curry, wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf, unique to the Moplahs of Kerala. Among the gravies, served in earthen pots, is a deceptively bland-looking Pachakkari Stew, a flavourful dish of seasonal vegetables (not too soft and not too crunchy), gently simmered in creamy coconut milk; and Maavinkai Mensukkai, chunks of brine-preserved mango cooked in a blend of chillies and coconut that is a beautiful combination of sweet and sour flavours, from the Havyaka community in Mangalore.

“Pork and meat are dried, salted and preserved for the monsoon, while vegetables like raw mango and bamboo shoots are pickled in salt water, which is the story behind Maavinkai Mensukkai,” says Chef Thimmiah. Kozhi Malliperlan, a creamy stew with vegetables and succulent pieces of chicken in light gravy of coconut milk and fresh spices, different from the other tangy dishes is also on our plates, along with Allapuzha Meen Curry that has cubes of boneless seer fish simmered in a moderately spiced, tangy gravy of freshly ground coconut, ginger and raw mangoes. 

If there's any space for dessert after all that, there’s dodol, rice cake gently cooked in coconut milk and jaggery; bebinca, a coconut based multi-layered Goan specialty and Ada Pradhaman, rice flakes cooked in coconut milk and jaggery. A meal absolutely worth loosening your belt and your wallet strings for! 

The Karavalli team of three chefs and two staff from the service team are on a three-leg series and are scheduled to set up in Delhi and Kolkata after Mumbai.