Kashmiri Food Fest - Curry Town,The Savera - Mylapore
Blogger’s Meet @ Savera for Kashmiri Food Fest
A couple of days back, my friend Muskaan Dutta told me there’s a Kashmiri Food Festival going on in Curry Town, The Savera Hotel, and if I’d like to join her for a blogger’s meet there. Never one to pass up on exploring different cuisines, I signed up right away for it. After reaching “on-time” as per my usual standards (Well, technically I was 50 mins late, but hey, in my defense, it was the messed up Ola Share and traffic that made me travel a 10 KM distance for over 1.5 hours), I noticed that my friends were waiting for the starters and mocktails, doing a photo op on the papads (Glad I wasn’t too late).
Food:
Mocktails:
This is part of Savera’s regular menu, but they obliged us with these to help our parched throats. They also have cocktails/drinks for those who want them. The mocktails are priced around Rs. 195 each. Listing down the ones I tried:
Spring Fever – A ‘Frooti’ blend of Orange + Fresh Lime + Mango + Apple. Being an “aam-aadmi” (Read that as Mango lover), I liked it, but Muskaan stole it from me 😛
Cardinal Punch – A ‘syrupy ‘ blend of Orange + Fresh Lime + Cranberry. Soda-ish. This is one blend of cranberry juice where you wouldn’t ask “Anna, oru cranberry juice refill please”. It didn’t suit my palate 🙁
Papad Story:
In between, we also had a papad with 3 types of chutneys. Being a spice lover, I went for the Spicy Yogurt chutney. Though my friends swear by its spicyness index, it still didn’t beat my spice buds (Yaay :D)
And then we got Starte(r)d:
Being a 95% vegetarian, I tried out only the vegetarian starters here. Each one is priced in the 400 – 500 range.
Tsaman Warimasala Tikka – This one is fresh, divine cottage cheese made with love, marinated with care and clay-oven cooked with passion. They melted in our mouths and they also melted my heart <3. Divinity Reinvented.
Rajmah Akhrot Kababa – These are Kidney beans kababs with walnut filling. It would appear like your regular cutlet, but as we all know, appearances are deceptive. I liked this one, being a crazy nut(ter).
Wazwani Aluv Tukri – Potato marinated in spicy yogurt and dried. Being the only veggie in the group, I enjoyed this dish, while the others went on with their NV party.
Jhelum Khumb Masala – Mushrooms ! Yaay ! Button mushrooms marinated in yogurt and clay-oven cooked. Juicy-licious, succulent pieces of yummy mushrooms.
Time for some Education – Time for The Course, I mean Main Course:
Again, veggie love my friend 😛
Dal Wazish – I love Dal ! They’re the only protein I ever get. This one was tendered in milk and then flavored with tomato and coriander. Easily one of the best dal based dishes I’ve tasted so far.
Nadur Yakhni – This is basically lotus stem cooked in a yogurt gravy flavored with cumin and mint. I somehow didn’t enjoy this one. The yogurt gravy was basically an adaption of the South Indian More Kozhambu and lotus stem, being too fibrous, wasn’t for me. But hey, that happens, not everything suits everyone ! My friends liked this one.
Kashmiri Naan & Lavas – Nutty Kashmiri Naan (Not sweet/Apple loaded :P) and Lavas, a clay-over roti were part of the bread basket. I loved the Kashmiri Naan, but the roti was quite hard by the time I got to it.
Buzbatta – I hear Kashmiri Pulao, I imagine something sweet with lots of Apple pieces. NO ! Inga andha scene illa (Not here). This one was again loaded with nuts that’d satisfy nut(ter)s, mild on your tongue with a rich taste, this is one of the best pulaos I’ve ever tasted ! I was still searching for some sweetness and Apple when I was done, that would wake me up from my Kashmiri dream.
Dessert-ed with Love !
Finally ! Desserts ! That sweet sensation that’s rising in your palate, in anticipation of the desserts, can never be ignored! I personally feel that any place that messes up on desserts especially deserves a special place in hell, and I’m glad that Curry Town will go to the paradise for their desserts.
Well this is what I had here:
Shufta – Mouth watering halwa made out of Cottage cheese and dry fruits. Not overly sweet, this one was instant like !
Chukandar E Afroz – Ghee laden, super healthy, beetroot halwa that wasn’t overloaded with sweetness. I fell in love with this ‘healthy’ version of halwa unlike some of its sweeter and less ghee counterparts.
Signing it with a T(ea):
Finally, we closed our dinner with the special Kahwa – The Kashmiri Chai, a cinnamon + cardamom infused green tea (This is one green tea that I wouldn’t mind drinking again :D). It was really nice, and was served along with crushed almonds as is the tradition.
Ambiance: Cozy ambiance. They’ve a rooftop seating as well, giving you a good view of the city from the 11th floor of The Savera. So, yes, a good spot for a nice date 😉
Service: Being a fine dining place, the service was top notch as usual.
Special Mention: Chef Rehman who has been specially flown in for this limited time festival at The Savera, was quite patient in explaining about the dishes, making the experience educative as well as filling.
Note: The festival ends this week, so please do go visit while you still have a chance to experience authentic Kashmiri food
Rating:
Taste: 4/5
Quantity: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
