Tired of chai and pakoras? On offer across Mumbai hotels this year are innovative yummies like dal manchow and okra shammi NewOrleans
The monsoon is here and there’s nothing like tucking into a piping hot bowl of soup, spicy pakoras and masala pasta. Speaking of soup, have you had one with a hint of dal like in dal manchow or a chicken pakora with fenugreek seeds like in the delectable methi chicken pakora or a cumin flavoured pasta with dal makhani a la the Indian version of pasta Napolitana?
Giving a twist to monsoon favourites and adding a whiff of innovation is a sure-shot way of beating the grey clouds, say city chefs.
Ananda Solomon, executive chef, Taj President, says, “It’s the seasons that determine our food cravings and monsoon is the time to have hot, spicy and tangy food. A generous intake of spices keeps you warm.”
Little wonder then that at the Grand Sarovar Premiere in Goregaon, they have an ongoing monsoon menu called 180 Twist which, as the name suggests, is a twist to their monsoon menu. So, warm up to a mix of Indian, Chinese and Mexican combination dishes. There’s dal manchow, dragon raan wherein a tender lamb leg is marinated and served with Peking sauce and pak choi, okra shammi NewOrleans which is a finger-licking lady finger kebab served with coriander tartar sauce or Thai subz diwani handi, a vegetable delicacy infused in red Thai curry.
“It’s a kind of fusion which gives the best of both cuisines, compliments and enhances the taste of the dishes and adds to the character of monsoon food,” says chef Navid, executive chef, Grand Sarovar Premiere. He, too, recommends warm and spicy food for the rainy season.
Traditional dishes like spicy pepper rasam, prawn cutlets, sizzling hot momos, crispy Malabar parathas or hot jalebis are also ideal monsoon food, feels chef Solomon, and at the Konkan Café a popular dish like the Goan fish curry is served differently — with unpolished rice.
Or innovative dishes like pepper chicken, mutton sukka and dried shrimp and spring onion bhaji are also on offer. For those who want to rustle up a different menu at home, he offers some suggestions. For instance, one can make a vada decker (named by him), which is crispy thin potato patties fried in batter and stacked and served with tamarind chutney along with a bun to bring out the crispness of the potato and the spiciness of its batter, instead of the regular vada pav where the patty is tucked
and lost inside a bun and served with spices and chutney.
Or, have a pav bhaji where the vegetables aren’t mashed but retain their crunchiness or make a chole bhatura that is tangier.
At Tosa, the restaurant at Vile Parle (east), there is an ongoing Chai and Pakoda festival which serves the regular monsoon fare in each category, but also has some variations like the bajri na wada, kela methi pakora and the peach chai which stand out.
At Parabola, the coffee shop at Rodas, An Ecotel, executive chef Arindam Bahel has a menu comprising sizzlers of kingfish steak, roast chicken in mushroom sauce, methi chicken pakoras and even a lemongrass and chai mousse to add to the monsoon magic.
“People crave hot food during this time of the year, and a bit of variation to these dishes adds to the taste,” he says.
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