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The traditional in mod ambience
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The Syrian Christian food festival on at Casino Hotel has much that is non vegetarian
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Spicy fare Duck is popular in Syrian Christian cuisine
Syrian Christian cuisine has largely remained authentic down the ages, despite chunks of population moving from the Central Travancore belt to different countries in the world, chiefly because of the fierce loyalty factor, to food, to roots. It moved
into five star ambiences some time ago with warm patronage. At the Casino Hotel, Willingdon Island, from Easter onwards, Syrian Christian cuisine has been attracting a crowd, for dinner.
Duck pieces in rich brown sauces, the aroma coming up trumps despite the umpteen other dishes and the well laid out fried seer fish, beside the orange prawn manga curry is indeed inviting.
Staple food
A long list of dishes awaits gourmets with the traditional staples of rice, idiappam, kallappam, vattayappam. Says corporate chef Jose Varkey, about Syrian Christian cuisine, “It is actually fusion cuisine when the local people took in some aspects of European cuisine also in the early days. It is mainly non vegetarian in character and uses coconut in a big way. The highlight of Syrian Christian food is fish pollichathu.”
Central Travancoreans like it hot, but for the general populace here, it is less pungent, all the dishes, says chef Jose. The chicken comes in coated with traditional masala, sautéed and ground coconut with spices thrown in for the flavour.
There is a mutton fry of sorts, also with gooey masala. Prawn manga curry has green mango added for the sour taste and the prawns are cooked slowly in a lavish spread of coarsely ground fresh coconut.
Vegetarians can have their pick from ‘chembu ularthiyathu’, ‘ulli varatharacha curry’, traditional ripe mango curry, breadfruit dish, ‘koottu curry’ and rasam.
The soups are vegetable clear and mulligatawny (mutton). There are salads, breads and a host of desserts to choose from. The buffet costs Rs. 500 per person. It is on till March 31.
PREMA MANMADHAN
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Metro Plus
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