A journey across India: Attempts to explore Indian flavours

CHENNAI: JHind, Grand Chennai by GRT’s ‘Hitch a Ride on NH44 - A Degustation Pop Up’ is a food festival curated by Chef Sheethram Prasad. The menu attempts to explore the various cuisines across the nation and covers popular and favourite dishes from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Some of the signature dishes are- aali vidhai paruppu vadai, kachcha kelle ka chaat mela, kadagu year, kozhi suruku, neri katti meen kozhambu, aab gosht with bakarkhani among others.

For amuse bouche, we tried their hot Kashmiri kahwa tea, served with apple caviar, and biscotti. The tea had delicate infused spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron. The tea remained true to its Kashmiri roots in terms of flavour. For anyone who is not familiar with the Kashmiri cuisine, the tea may not appease your palate.

For appetizers, we tried their yakhni shorba. This mutton soup, served with bite-sized mutton balls, was light on flavours and did not do much in terms of spice. Only after adding lemon and pepper, does the dish give some relief to the dull seasoning.

Their kachcha kelle ka chaat mela, which was a mix of papdi chaat, also consisting of banana chips and dhokla frozen in liquid nitrogen. The chaat is made in front of you on a trolley table with elaborate splish and splash of liquid nitrogen on the chaat, sauces and chutneys. The dish was pretty good in terms of taste and presentation. The dhokla used in the dish for garnishing is dipped in nitrogen for extra spectacle.

The kadugu yera is a succulent prawn dish packed with flavours and spices. The taste was very homely and the sense of familiarity is comforting. Their tabak maaz, which was served with ‘drama’ as they called it because of the flame torch, had strong flavours of red chilli and other Indian spices. The dish was average and can be appreciated for the drama they try to present it.

For the main course, we tried their manpaanai kozhi thokku with parotta. The parotta was perfect in texture and did not give the rubbery feel that sometimes comes with parotta. The kozhi thokku complemented the parotta well, but the pepper in the dish was slightly overpowering. The combination, on the whole, was good.

The aab gosht with bakarkhani was absolutely extraordinary in the sense of a feasting experience. The faint sense of spices in the aab gosht lived up to the authentic Kashmiri nature of the dish. The naturally sweet bread, bakarkhani went magically well with the gravy. The sweetness of this dish balanced so well and perfectly.

Their desserts, without a doubt, won all the attention and limelight. Their phirni served in a small clay pot was served chill. The cardamom, saffron and the texture of the rice were made with great precision. Their kesar thandai ice cream which is made right in front of you with liquid nitrogen and frozen rose petals was a delight. This dessert is the perfect way to finish your meal.

The food is very filling and is priced at Rs 1,700 per person for the vegetarian meal and Rs 1,950 per person for the non-vegetarian meal. The fest will go on till September 30.