Assamese Food Festival at The Square, Novotel, Pune Nagar Road.
Assamese cuisine is something I don't know a lot about. So I was excited to try it out, especially when my friend and brilliant home chef, Monjeeta Baroowa curated the menu and experience.
The food though is very simple, with minimal usage of masala, very basic spices and I have to say, tastes delicious. There is a lot of use of fresh ingredients and vegetables making it light and healthy. Mustard oil gives a rather vibrant colour to the food and you think it's going to be spicy, but usually, it's not. It's light, homely and soul-satisfying. Assamese cuisine also has a very specific order of how dishes or courses are eaten.
Appetizer/Starter:
-A typical Assamese meal starts with a hearty lentil stew (Khaar) with a banana stem (had with rice). It is thick with subtle flavours and a hint of sweetness. It helps build an appetite.
-Then we were served some Fried Fish (rohu) and fried vegetables as a starter. The fish fry was delicious but had a lot of bones, which I didn't mind. Potato Cutlet was fantastic.
Accompaniments:
-The most interesting part are the accompaniments. Aalu Pitaka, Begena Poora (char-grilled eggplant), Bilahi Poora (char-grilled tomato), lentil chutney, black sesame chutney and mustard paste. These are had with every course and gives a lovely fresh and bright flavour as well as some kick. The sesame chutney and eggplant was especially delectable.
Mains:
-Mutton Curry with rice. Simple flavours without being spicy cooked in mustard oil. Then you end the meal with a wonderful Fish (Katla) - mango - potato curry. Juicy fleshy fish with a hint of sourness and lightly spiced. So soul-satisfying and apparently, the sourness helps indigestion. The potatoes absorb the oil and juices, so the curry doesn't feel greasy or heavy.
Dessert:
Assamese cuisine doesn't have sort of 'Dessert' culture, but they do have many sweet snacks to savour. We had Coconut Laddus, Black and White Sesame Laddus, Sweet Boondi with cream and finally, my favourite - Black Rice Khee. I binged on the this. The black rice had a nice bite, lovely caramelly flavour with loads of nuts and dry fruits. Delicious.
The festival is on at Novotel, Viman Nagar till 28th July, so 5 more days to go. The best part is this dinner buffet not only includes the Assamese festival but also the rest of their buffet. So Indian, Asian and Continental food as well as an array of delicious desserts. All this at Rs. 1300, which I find quite reasonable.
I have to give props to super chef Monjeeta Baroowa, who has worked super hard in preparing the menu and building up a fantastic experience. The food is excellent and they are going to keep varying the menu, like yesterday they had special Duck Curry. I would highly suggest not to miss this superb experience.
Assamese cuisine is something I don't know a lot about. So I was excited to try it out, especially when my friend and brilliant home chef, Monjeeta Baroowa curated the menu and experience.
The food though is very simple, with minimal usage of masala, very basic spices and I have to say, tastes delicious. There is a lot of use of fresh ingredients and vegetables making it light and healthy. Mustard oil gives a rather vibrant colour to the food and you think it's going to be spicy, but usually, it's not. It's light, homely and soul-satisfying. Assamese cuisine also has a very specific order of how dishes or courses are eaten.
Appetizer/Starter:
-A typical Assamese meal starts with a hearty lentil stew (Khaar) with a banana stem (had with rice). It is thick with subtle flavours and a hint of sweetness. It helps build an appetite.
-Then we were served some Fried Fish (rohu) and fried vegetables as a starter. The fish fry was delicious but had a lot of bones, which I didn't mind. Potato Cutlet was fantastic.
Accompaniments:
-The most interesting part are the accompaniments. Aalu Pitaka, Begena Poora (char-grilled eggplant), Bilahi Poora (char-grilled tomato), lentil chutney, black sesame chutney and mustard paste. These are had with every course and gives a lovely fresh and bright flavour as well as some kick. The sesame chutney and eggplant was especially delectable.
Mains:
-Mutton Curry with rice. Simple flavours without being spicy cooked in mustard oil. Then you end the meal with a wonderful Fish (Katla) - mango - potato curry. Juicy fleshy fish with a hint of sourness and lightly spiced. So soul-satisfying and apparently, the sourness helps indigestion. The potatoes absorb the oil and juices, so the curry doesn't feel greasy or heavy.
Dessert:
Assamese cuisine doesn't have sort of 'Dessert' culture, but they do have many sweet snacks to savour. We had Coconut Laddus, Black and White Sesame Laddus, Sweet Boondi with cream and finally, my favourite - Black Rice Khee. I binged on the this. The black rice had a nice bite, lovely caramelly flavour with loads of nuts and dry fruits. Delicious.
The festival is on at Novotel, Viman Nagar till 28th July, so 5 more days to go. The best part is this dinner buffet not only includes the Assamese festival but also the rest of their buffet. So Indian, Asian and Continental food as well as an array of delicious desserts. All this at Rs. 1300, which I find quite reasonable.
I have to give props to super chef Monjeeta Baroowa, who has worked super hard in preparing the menu and building up a fantastic experience. The food is excellent and they are going to keep varying the menu, like yesterday they had special Duck Curry. I would highly suggest not to miss this superb experience.
