CHENNAI: Think of Goan food and what most people perceive as the specialty of the locale is non vegetarian and sea food. Be a witness to the Goan food fest at E-Hotel at the Express Avenue and all your pre conceived notions are going to take a backseat, as the fest brings forth food which is exclusively vegetarian.
After relishing the food at the fest, the realisation is going to dawn on many that vegetarian food cannot be mundane, but sumptuous and potent with flavours. At Entrée, the global cuisine restaurant highlights Goan foods with the signature dish of Dodol, a delicacy made of coconut jaggery.
To keep the dishes, the organisers have brought chefs from Goa, bringing a variety of dishes in the menu each day. The Goan cuisine, making an association with South European set of ingredients, brings together a gamut of vegetables and spicy sausages.
There was an array of over 40 dishes, which included dishes such as Soppa grossa (vegetarian Macaroni soup), Goechem pao, Sannas (rice cakes), Xengo tempered (drumstick curry), Doce de grao (Bengal gram barfi) and others.
Garav Gupta, general manager, E-Hotel, said, “This 10-day festival is planned to give a special focus on Goan culture. Goan food is as famous as the Goan’s endeavour for poetry, painting and music. They have elevated cooking to a delicate art, thereby evolving a unique cuisine, which is an inspired blend of the Western and Indian cusine.”
Chef Hari Babu from the hotel and Saldanka Henzil, chef from Goa, bring delicacies, which derive their influence from food items from Portugal, Angola and other such places. Though being a chef who is specialised in non vegetarian cuisines, bringing out vegetarian Goan dishes on to platter with mouth watering masalas was something new, but bereft of any challenge. One would wonder if the curry that was served was actually non-vegetarian, as the flavours bore fair resemblance to any other non vegetarian cuisine.
The Goan food fest is on at E-Hotel, Express Avenue, till December 14, between 7 pm and 10.30 pm.