RIVAAYAT MIRACLE................10

RIVAAYAT at TRIDENT Hyderabad

The fifteen day RIVAAYAT Food Festival got flagged off at The Trident Hyderabad on 22nd March, 2015. 

Last Monday evening, I was there to sample the food. I was really inspired to note that the Chefs felt the need of going back to the roots of traditional Indian cooking. Kanak, the Indian Restaurant of this hotel which had recently won the Times Food Award for the best Indian restaurant of the city was the venue.

What impressed me most was that the learnings of RIVAAYAT (a unique conclave where the Chefs met the ' Khansamas' or the Cooks who have mastered the art of distinctive Indian cooking through the years by learning these forgotten recipes as handed over to them by their previous generations) were translated into a food festival and offered to the Hyderabadi foodies as well as the In Room Guests. It was smartly positioned as a revival of Indian cuisine.....with 57 dishes to choose from. 

When I walked in I was struggling to make a choice between the Awadhi, Hyderabadi, Mughalai and Delhlvi specialities. This was an appetizing struggle nevertheless.Chefs know how to create a problem of plenty for their guests. So I put the ball back in their court by asking them to get their selection of the best vegetarian food. 

Sample this: "Rampuri Paneer Tikka". The whole world has probably had enough of this tandoori preparation but how many would have heard about the Rampuri twist to it? or it may be the lost distinctive Awadhi dishes like Amrod ki Sabzi (guava is cooked as a vegetable with a sweet essence and Indian spices in the gravy) Aloo Wadiyan( a household Punjabi preparation made from  sun dried lentil dumplings.....a keep it simple like your 'Mothers Kitchen' kind of dish) Pindi ke Chole (classical Punjabi dish- chickpeas cooked with home ground spice mixture....where the beauty lay in its authenticity rather than the uniqueness of the dish) to the delectable desserts like " Mewe ka Halwa" (an enticing dessert from the Mughal era made with bottle gourd, Mewa and dry fruits). Indian breads like Warki paratha (Lucknowi) or Sheermal (Awadhi) were embellishments to my culinary experience.

The Kanak kitchen brigade (see the picture) has really done a good job. The Hyderabadi gourmands will remember this unique experience in times to come. I am thankful to Chef Prafull, (the second in command, Senior Sous Chef and Chef Sandip Bhattacharjee (Indian Master Chef) for their support during my visit.

I asked Chef Manik. What would do with the shining stars out of the 57 dishes on the menu?

“The best selling, most sought after dishes will find a permanent place in the Kanak menu“, quickly came the answer from Chef Manik Magotra, Acting Executive Chef, Trident, Hyderabad.

Footnote:Please meet the Kanak Chef Brigade

                       

(L-R) Top row- Mujahid, Indrajit, Biman, Avisek, Suryakanta, Sanatana

Sitting: Vamshi, Prafull, Sandip, Kubir

Text and pictures: R Kesava Mallia, in Hyderabad