BENGALURU: Speciality Bengali restaurant Esplanade opens its door to its first-ever Niramish ‘vegetarian’ food festival. Bengali food is renowned for its plethora of tastes, from fiery fish curries to robust beef stews.
A lesser-known component of Bengali cuisine features equally delightful and gratifying vegetarian dishes that are enjoyed in households around the region on special occasions and festivals. From treats like chalkumror bora (ash gourd fritter with delicate poppy seeds and coconut paste), chanar paturi (banana leaf wrapped steamed homemade cheese in mustard paste), mochar dhokar dalna (banana floret dumpling), stuffed pea paratha, chanar pulao (cottage cheese pulao) to desserts like the baked rasgulla and the quintessential mishti doi. All of these and more are available during the ongoing vegetarian festival at Esplanade through March.
Everyday bar Suzy Q by 1522 brings The Bucket List, a menu of delectable tapas and beverages from all around the world. This celebration of bite-sized fare includes Mexican verduras taquitos and crunchy mini tacos, Spanish empanadillas gallegas, and creamy callaloo pilau jerk chicken balls from the Caribbean islands.
Exotic delicacies from distant Pacific islands are included, including raspberry and brandy-glazed pork belly, Egyptian king crab koshari, Middle Eastern Dujajat fatayer, and even an incredibly flavourful and aromatic Turkish lamb lahmajun.
The handcrafted cocktails here also exude an international vibe with the inclusion of herbs, teas, and spices from Spain, Turkey, France, and Mexico as well as specially created syrups, botanicals, fresh fruits, berries, and garnishes. The Bucket List menu is available at Suzy Q throughout the month of March.
The biryani at Dindigul Thalappakatti is legendary. Since the debut of the first Dindigul location in 1957, the business has grown into a prosperous franchise with eateries spread throughout India and the world.
In addition to the mouthwatering biryanis, main dishes and starters, the restaurant team has curated an eclectic evening menu with dishes that are common in South Indian kitchens and staples to most households.
The classic combo meals on the limited-edition menu are Aatukalpaya soup with veetu dosai, nattu kozhi idicha varuval with parotta, Madurai nenjucurry chops kulambu with plain dosai, and chicken leg ghee roast with idiappam. A Madurai jigarthanda cooler, special falooda, or a hot gulab jamun dessert can be savoured to cap off this hearty dinner.
Trendy restaurant Farzi Café has a new menu with delectable flavours and a touch of illusion, coupled with the science of molecular gastronomy. With a focus on bringing Indian cuisine back ‘in-vogue’, the innovative menu features dishes like the tomato mozzarella samosa with imli chaat, dahi puchka shots with angoor chutney, ambarsari chicken sliders with hot garlic sauce, bhetki paturi with gondhoraj ghee rice, and sabudana kheer that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also pack a tasty punch.
For those who like seafood, we suggest Neer located at the Hilton Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park which offers coastal cuisine in a pleasant al-fresco setting. The new menu explores the regional specialities that are enjoyed along the shores of South India, notably Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
From the a-la-carte and set menu options, some of the fresh and flavourful traditional foods to savour include the vazhappu vada chat fried banana flower fritters, the kal meen varuthathu skillet-fried seer fish, the chicken ghee roast, the Mangalorean prawn curry, and the errachi nikavu korma tenderloin stew.
In addition to parathas, sannas, and appams, the menu also includes rice dishes like the nei chooru, Malanad vegetable biryani, and Kozhikode mutton biryani, as well as desserts like the kopra neer payasam, pazham pradhamam with rice flakes and jaggery, and panikkul with mango, soft coconut, and filter coffee.