Sample the South Indian Flavours at Trident Hotel, Mumbai

It is boldly spicy, aromatic, refreshing and a good break from the typical South Indian flavours. We are talking about Chettinad cuisine. To begin with Chettinad is a small region in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. Most of the locals here are merchants who travel or have travelled to South East Asian countries for trade. And their travel played a huge role in the way Chettiars (as they are called) coooked food, most often influenced by spices that they traded. 
The most distinctive feature of Chettinad cuisine is the fieriness of the food. Not meant for the faint-hearted it can set your palate on fire. “The major ingredients used in this cuisine are kalpasi, fennel, cinnamon, staranise, red chillies, dried pepper and black pepper,” says Executive Chef, Ashish Bhasin. While Chettinad cuisine is immensely popular among non-vegetarians, the non-meat eating population can put their worries to rest too. “Paniyaram is a famous vegetarian dish which is apt for breakfast. The savory version of the dish is much loved at homes in Tamil Nadu, it is a pan fried dumpling cooked in a paniyaram karahi. Then there is Seeyam, a pan-fried savory semolina dumpling which is cooked in a paniyaram karahi. Idiyappam, too, finds an important place on Chettinad breakfast tables. It is a traditional steamed Chettinad delicacy. For those with a sweet tooth, there's plenty to choose from. Athirasam are sweet rice fritters and are extremely popular during festivals. Kozhakattai is a delicious steamed rice dumpling stuffed with jaggery,” shares the chef. 

Is all this food talk making you hungry? Then head to the Trident to get a sample of Chettinad cuisine, at the ongoing festival from 10th-20th March. And while you are there, make sure you also feast on the other South Indian food offerings at the festival—from Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. 
Here's what you can expect at the festival—

Menu Highlights:

Chicken 65 (Tamil Nadu)
Chennai style spicy fried chicken with coriander and chilli

Karwar yeti fry (Karnataka)
Semolina crusted deep fried prawns with Byadagi chilli and ginger

Chicken ishtoo (Kerala)
Chicken simmered with coconut milk flavored with coriander

Kozhi Chettinadu (Tamil Nadu)
Chettinad style spicy chicken curry with fresh ground spices and coconut

Meen pollichattu (Kerala)
Delicately spiced snapper flavored with shallots and coriander cooked in banana leaf

Malabar parotta
Traditional and rich flaky lachha  parotta

Adai pradaman (Kerala)
Beaten rice pudding with coconut and palm jaggery

Date:10th-20thMarch

Venue: Maya

Timings: Lunch:12:00 pm to 2:45 pm (for thali)
Dinner:7:00 pm to 11:30 pm

Phone Number: 022 6672 7650

Here are some Chettinad recipes by Executive Chef Ashish Bhasin. Try it out and let us know if it's fiery enough for you!

KUZHI PANIYARAM 

Ingredients
150 gm Par boiled rice      
250 gm Raw rice         
100 gm Urud dal         
3 gm Mustard seeds         
75 gm Chopped onion      
15 gm Chopped green chilly 
10 gm Chopped ginger     
3 gm Chopped curry leaves 
1 no. Grated coconut 
Salt to taste 
20 ml Refined oil
50 gm Desi ghee        
50 gm Cashew nut         

Method
1 Soak rice and dal together for minimum three hours.
2 Grind to a fine paste.
3 Rest the batter for fermentation.
4 Heat oil, crackle mustard seeds, add cashew nuts, onion, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves, grated coconut and sauté.
5 Add the sautéed mix in the batter and then add salt.
6 Heat the kuzhipaniyaram kadai, add desi ghee, pour the batter and fry till golden brown.

CHETTINAD MASALA

Ingredients

50 gms Coriander seeds
200 gms Pepper corn
120 gms Saunf
30 nos Red chilli 
1 sprig Curry leaf
2 stick Cinnamon
1 no. Bay leaf
3 nos Green cardamom
7 nos Cloves

Method
1. Broil the ingredients and make a coarse powder.
2. 1 kg chicken requires 1 tbsp masala.

CHICKEN CHETTINAD

Ingredients

3 sprig Curry leaves            
250 ml Oil                
3 sticks Cinnamon            
2 nos Bay leaf            
7 nos Cloves                
4 nos Green cardamom        
1200 g Chopped onion        
1200 g Chopped tomatoes        
15 g Crushed pepper        
25 g Chettinad masala        
1/4 tsp Zeera powder            
2 tsp Coriander powder        
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder        
3 kg Cooked chicken        
25 g Ginger garlic paste        
Salt to taste
1 tsp Saunf                

Method
1. Heat oil, add whole garam masala and saunf. 
2. Add chopped onions and sauté till golden brown colour. 
3. Now add the powder masalas and sauté dilute the ginger garlic paste and add with the mixture. Add the chopped tomatoes sauté till smashy. Then add curry leaves, salt and add the cooked chicken. Sauté for few minutes.
4. Finally add the crushed pepper and chettinad masala powder. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.