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A real treat for the taste buds

Photos: Soma Basu

Appetizing Tantalizing menu

Executive Chef Raj Sekhar at the Hotel Gateway has a way with words. “What will you prefer, veg or non-veg?”, he asks while inviting me to the “Karavalli” food festival from coastal Tululand.

I answer “veg” and he further enquires about my favourite vegetable. Without giving much thought to the question, I reply “cauliflower”. By the time I am atop hillock Pasumalai, the simple telecon slips into amnesia.

A traditional ambience unveils at The View restaurant. A small floor decoration, plantain leaves on the wall, typical Magalorean saris used for interior decoration, chefs in traditional veshti and shirt – I find the charm of Mangalore suitably created.

Now the flavors. “The speciality of this spicy rice-based cuisine is the liberal use of grated coconut and its milk or paste, a special red chilli called ‘badige’ which imparts the fiery colour and taste,” Raj Sekhar helps me write the copy.

“Trained by chefs from Taj Mangalore, our team is laying out different menus every weekend. The spread is huge and each item tastes different,” he informs as I start my culinary journey with sprouts and coconut salad.

Apparently, “kori kempu bezule” — the deep fried pieces of boneless chicken marinated to perfection in a typically tasty Mangalorean masala and tossed in yoghurt — is the clear winner.

On for two weekends, the festival has already had a good start and the rather fetching chefs are enthused about their tables being booked over the last two weekends as well (June 27 and July 4).

I kick off my main course with a delicate apam and vegetable stew followed by a platter of vegetarian accompaniments. It is heartening for vegetarians to find their items outnumbering those in the non-veg section. Certainly there is something novel in every dish.

I take a second help of the “ananas sansav”, a tangy and traditional pineapple dish and the “tarkari gassi”, an assortment of vegetable cooked in finely ground fresh coconut and traditional masala gravy along with coconut milk.

There is a formidable list to choose from — the ‘Mangalore brinjal curry’, ‘cabbage foogath’, ‘Mangalorean avial’ with five ethnic vegetables, ‘Gerakai kootu kari’ for those who cannot do without toovar dal, ‘Kerala sambar’, ‘Ulli theeyal’ which is button onion stewed in a roasted tangy gravy with freshly grounded spices and ‘Alambo arepu’, fresh mushrooms prepared in a perfect blend of Mangalorean spices.

The non-veggies can feast on ‘Meen manga charu’, a mild yet deviously tempting fish curry; ‘Kori gassi’, tender pieces of chicken cooked in finely ground fresh coconut masala; ‘Yetti ajadina’ prawns tossed in a coarsely ground coconut masala or the ‘Mutton stew’. The gravies are particularly red in colour and flavoured with special spices.

All the ingredients are sourced with care to ensure the authentic taste of every item in our tantalizing menu,” assures Raj Sekhar and does not forget a special bowl of “gobi kempu”. The cauliflower is marinated in red chilli and deep fried in tomato puree. Admittedly, I return with a liking for the vegetable.

There is enough variety of rice (red, mint, garlic, plain and steamed) and breads like kori roti, layered and the coin parantha or the neer dosa.

The sweet toothed must go for the bebinca or ada pradhaman to discover what they are o the conventional dal payasam loaded with ghee. All items taste as good as authentic particularly to first timers like me.

Featuring a lavish spread of wholesome and good food, the fest is open for dinner only, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tariff Rs. 550 per person plus Taxes.

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