Binge on the tastes of Rayalaseema

ITC Kakatiya is on a food binge with its Kitchens of India series up and going in full swing. Currently Dakshin, the south Indian specialty restaurant has launched its Rayalaseema thali in its seafood, non-vegetarian and vegetarian versions.

The rocky terrains of Rayalaseema are known to have given rise to scrumptious recipes that while making the best of the local produce also are rich in spice as any South Indian food, simple in preparation and high on flavours. So you see abundant use of red chilli powder, ground nuts, dry fish, meats and millets.

As per tradition at Dakshin, once the welcome drink (in this case Nimmaka Neellu) and Iyers Special (banana dosa, paniyaram, and uthappam) are done with, you are presented with Meka Kalla rasam on the non-vegetarian thali – soul stirringly spicy lamb leg soup - followed by Kodi vepudu (the village style chicken fry with chillies and curry leaves).

The extensive main course menu includes Endu chapa vankai pulusu (Telugu cuisine is high on tamarind, and Rayalaseema, especially, counts on the coolant quality of tamarind and hence you see a variety of ‘pulusu’ on the menu), Gongoora boti (the classic preparation made using lamb oafal with roseel leaves),

Podi mamsam (extremely tender lamb tossed in the dry masala that together makes for a delicious dish that can either be had as a side dish or can even make for a starter), kodi korma (chicken cooked in dry coconut and cashew nut paste), pulla koora (lentils cooked with spinach and other vegetables along with mango), gummadikaya bellam pulusu (red pumpkin cooked with tamarind, a hint of jaggery and chilli),

Uralagadda Battani masala koora (quintessentially Rayalaseema curry made of potatoes, dry peas tossed in onion and tomatoes), royyala pulao (prawn), egg parotha, dahi wada and on the sweet side semiya sabudana payasam (mildly sweet dessert made using vermicelli, sago and chana dal cooked with jaggery) and Gummadikaya halwa (red pumpkin).

The chefs have thankfully retained spice level a notch higher than the usual fine dining norm – for what is Rayalaseema if you don’t huff and puff over the tang of the chilli. The thali will be there on the restaurant menu till May 29.