PENINSULA GRAND - செட்டிநாட்டு திருவிழா... (CHETTINAD FESTIVAL )

AN INTRODUCTION WOULD BE THE LAST THING ANYONE SHALL EXPECT FOR   PENINSULA GRAND , SAKINAKA ....AND THEIR FOOD,WHEN I WENT  FOR THE BLOGGERS REVIEW AS A MASTER CHEF ,AS A FOODIE , AS A BLOGGER FOR THE CHETTINADU FOOD FESTIVAL ....

As the name suggests ‘festival’ it truly brings out the festive mood in you. It’s a 15 days long festival which brightens and enlightens you and takes you away from your daily stressful routine life. I call it a getaway festival .....

The word "Chettinad" means a social caste specialising in the preparation of food. Consequently, the Chettinads are considered master chefs, and  CHETTINAD CUISINE  is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in India. The dishes are usually topped with a hard boiled egg. Meals also consist of cooked lentils, BRINJAL  curry, drumstick SAMBHAR GHEE for flavouring rice, and sweet meats like PAYASAM and paal paniyaram. For example, Kara kolambu is a highly regarded South Indian sambar, while Aadi kummayam is a sweet delicacy, made from PULSES.  In general, beef and pork dishes are not served. Some well-known local dishes are Chicken Chettinad (Spicy Chicken Curry), Vegetable Chettinad (a vegetable curry) and dishes featuring seafood.

Life in Chettinad is relaxed. Barren streets make way for random scooters or a passing animal. In the dead heat of the day you’d swear you’d landed in a ghost town. The whole area is an odd juxtaposition of crumbling buildings next to beautifully renovated mansions and dry narrow streets running in front of lush green fields of vegetation. Chettinad is indeed a captivating place. Something out there draws you in, enticing you to discover more. The people of Chettinad speak TAMIL ...தமிழ்

CHETTINAD  is rich in cultural heritage, art and architecture, and is well known for its houses, embellished with marble and Burma teak, wide courtyards, spacious rooms, and for its 18th century mansions. 
Local legend tells that their walls used to be polished with a paste made out of eggwhites to give a smooth texture. 


The construction material, decorative items and furnishings were mostly imported from East Asian countries and Europe. The marble was brought from Italy, chandeliers and teak from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and wall-to-wall mirrors from Belgium. The woodwork and stonework was inspired that of the houses in France and other European destinations. 

WHAT : CHETTINAD FESTIVAL

WHERE :@ PENINSULA GRAND, SAKINAKA.MUMBAI

WHEN :FROM 15TH JULY TO 31ST JULY 2016.

LOCATION AND PARKING -POSTIVE , ELITE LOCALITY

WITH VALLET PARKING 

WHATEVER THE ORIGIN MAY BE OR WHOEVER COOKED AND CAME UP WITH THE NAME FOR THE DELIGHT OF THE DECADE I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I WOULD ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL TO YOU DEEP DOWN MY HEART.....AND THATS THE KIND OF LOVE I HAVE WITH CHEF.JAYALAKSHMI  FROM COIMBATORE WHO CAME ALL THE WAY TO COOK ON HER OWN HANDS TO TASTE THE ORIGINAL TASTE OF CHETTINAD CUISINE.... 

AND WHEN CALLED FOR THE TASTING SESSION AS A MASTERCHEF FAME..... THE NAME CHETTINAD MADE THE MAGIC...

THE  HOTEL DOESNT NEED ANY INTRODUCTION AS THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THERE FINESSE..

CHEF JAYALAKSHMI AND HER TWO SONS BALAJI ( I CALL HIM BALAJI BAJJI ) AND JAYENDRAN (JAI) WERE THE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND FOR HER... BECAUSE OF THEM SHE CAME FOR THE FIRST TIME TO MUMBAI TO SHOW HER TALENT TO ALL OVER THE WORLD...

CHEF.JAYALAKSHMI BEAUTY IS PERSONIFIED,....HER BEAUTY FLASHES BEFORE YOU STEP INTO PENINSULA GRAND.FOR CHETTINAD FESTIVAL ....

THE BEAUTY FLASH BEFORE YOU AS YOU STEP INTO PENINSULA GRAND.

CHEF JAYALAKSHMI EXPLAINED IN BRIEF ABOUT EACH VARIETY OF CHETTINAD  STYLE (ALL HOME MADE MASALA )LEAVING ME AWESTRUCK ONCE AGAIN..

We were welcomed with a serving oF RASAM  ரசம OF THE DAY - SOUTH INDIAN VARIETIES OF SOUP MADE WITH TAMARIND PULP AS THE BASE ALONG WITH SPICES AND HERBS ..

ITS COMES UNDER THE CATEGORY OF SAARU VAGAIGAL /SOUPS ..

FOR BEST FOOD  I ALWAYS RESIST ME FROM VISITING A RESTURANT TWICE UNTIL IAM COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY BY THE FOOD ...

ITS A CLEAR WINNER IN TERMS OF TASTE.....IT WAS YUMMUDAAAAAAAAAAA.

ITS A SIGNATURE DRINK .

NOW MOVING ON THERE MENU THEY HAVE  ALSO 

இன்றைய சிறப்பு:

நாட்டுக்கோழி ரசம, ( NATTU KOZHI RASAM ) ஆட்டுக்கால் சூப் ( AATU KAL SOUP)

AND THEY ALSO HAVE KULIR PANANGAN ( REFRESHING DRINKS ) குளிர்பானங்கள்

பானகம் - PANANGAM - AN EXQUISITE DRINK OF TAMARIND PULP , DRY GINGER AND CARDOMON

நீர் மோ NEER MORE- SOUTH INDIAN STYLE TEMPERED BUTTERMILK

AND IN

STARTER

வாழைப் பூ பருப்பு வடை -VAZHAPOO VADAI

கரிவேப்பிலைப்பொடி இட்லி- KARIVEPPILAI PODI IDLI வாழக்காய் பஜ்ஜி - VAZHAKAI BAJJI குழிப்பணியாரம் - KUZHI PANIYARAM செட்டிநாடு சிக்கன் சாப்ஸ் - CHETTINAD CHICKEN CHOPS கன் ஷாட் முட்டை வறுவல் - GUN SHOT MUTTAI VARUVEL சிக்கன் சுக்கா -CHICKEN SUKKA மீன் வறுவல் - MEEN VARUVEL மட்டன் பேப்பர் சுக்கா -MUTTON PEPPER SUKKA மட்டன் சில்லி சுக்கா- MUTTON CHILLI SUKKA மட்டன் கோலா / கீமா வடை - MUTTON KOLA/KEEMA VADAI பட்டர் பெப்பர் இறால்- BUTTER PEPPER ERAL

AND IN

KARAIKUDI KARI SAMYAL /SELECTION OF MAIN COURSE

மீன் தவா - MEENA TAVA எறால் தொக்கு- ERAL THOKKU செட்டிநாடு மீன் குழம்பு- HETTINAD MEEN KOLUMBU கோலா உருண்டை குழம்பு - KOLA URUNDAI KOLUMBU பள்ளிப்பாளையம் சிக்கன்- PALLIPALAYAM CHICKEN சிந்தாமணி சிக்கன் - CHITAMANI CHICKEN பிச்சி போட்ட கோழி - PICHU POTTA KOZHI கொத்து பரோட்டா- KOTHU PAROOTA மட்டன் கொத்துக்கறி- MUTTON KOTHUCURRY

KAIKARI VAGAIGAL / VEGETERAIN ACOMPANIMENTS

காய்கறி வகைகள் வெண்டைக்காய் மிளகு- VENDAIKAI MILAGHU சிறு உருளைக்கிழங்கு வறுவல் - BABY POTATO VARUVEL பருப்பு உருண்டை குழம்பு - PARUPPU URUNDAI KOLUMBU மோர்க்குழம்பு - MORE KOLUMBU

ARISI VAGAIGAL- RICE AND BREADS

பொன்னி சாதம் - PONNI SADAM

புளி சாதம் - PULI SADAM

எலுமிச்சை சாதம் - ELUMICHAI SADAM

பிசிபேளாபாத் - BISI BELA BATH

காய்கறி தம் பிரியாணி - KAIKARI DHUM BRIYANI

பரோட்டா - PAROOTA

முட்டைதோசை- MUTTAI DOSAI

சிக்கன் தம் பிரியாணி - CHICKEN DUM BRIYANI

ஆட்டிறைச்சி தம் பிரியாணி - AATU IRACHI DHUM BRIYANI

INIPPU VAGAIGAL / DESSERTS

பருப்பு பாயாசம் - PARUPPU PAYASAM

கேசரி - KESARI

ஜிகர்தண்டா - JIGARTHANDA

I COULDNT WAIT MORE AND WENT AHEAD WITH MY ORDER AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF SCANNING THROUGH THE MENU 

AFTER BITING KARIVEPIILAI PODI IDLI , THE ACTUAL DELITE MADE ITS WAY .... I WAS IN AN EGO THAT ONLY I CAN MAKE SOFT AND FLUFFY IDLIS IN MUMBAI, BUT I HAVE TO TAKE BACK MY WORDS AS CHEF. JAYALAKSHMI HAS TAKEN MY PRIZE , RIGHT FROM THE INGREDIENT TO THE TYPE OF RICE USED AND THE METHOD OF COOKING , EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN SELF.FOR THE VEGETERIANS LIKE ME , WHO HARDLY GET A GOOD TASTE OF PROPER KARIVEPPILAI AROMA IN THE PODI IDLI. ( COCKTAIL IDLI TOSSED WITH CURRY LEAF GUN POWDER AND GHEE ..

IT IS MY PEROSNAL FAVOURITE WITH RIGHT BALANCE IN FLAVOURS 

PODI IDLI IS LOADED WITH MORE AROMA , JUST KIND OF FOOD I LOVE .

ACCOMPANIED BY THE MUSIC SETS THE PERFECT AMBIENCE FOR THE DINNER

MY FAVOURITE MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE IDIAPPAM WITH THENGAI PAL

THENGAI PAL WAS HAND MADE GRINDED AND CRUSHED AND SQUEEZED THE MILK FROM IT 

THE SELCTION OF DISHES AND THE STYLE OF COOKING IS IMPRESSIVE AND THE TASTE MAKES THE EXPERIENCE MEMORABLE.

ITS LIKE SPONGE IN MY HANDS SO SOFT, AND CHEF .JAYALAKSHMI , GRINDED THE RICE IN COIMBATORE AND BROUGHT IN TRAIN AS SHE WANTS ALL TO TASTE THE ORIGINAL TASTE OF IDAPPAM .. AND SHE GRINDED COCONUT IN GRINDER AND TOOK AND MILK FOR PAL .

PARAPPU URANDAI KOZHAMBU - DELICIOUS DAL BALLS IN A TANGY GRAVY FOR PLAIN RICE

WHEN I  HAD PARUPPU URUNDAI KOZHUMBU    ITS A CLEAR WINNER IN TASTE AND CONSISTENCY /I DID LIKE IT FOR THE CONSISTENCY  AND TEXTURE. WITH PLAIN RICE 

IT WAS YUMMUDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

PULI SADAM- TAMARIND RICE

IT WAS PURE BLISS TO INDULGE INTO THIS YUMMIEST PULI SADAM 

AND IAM SALIVATING AS I WRITE .

POTATO VARUVEL WITH COCOUNUT AND COCONUT OIL

FROM GODS OWN COUNTRY ,,,,,I WAS ASTONISHED TO KNOW CHETTINAD FESTIVAL IS SOMETHING A FANATIC FESTIVAL  AND ALL LIKE ME AS A FOOD DONT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY ...

HOW I COULD END MY MEAL  WITHOUT HOT PIPING  PARUPPU PAYASAM ...

I HAVE TO FIND SOME NEW ADJECTIVES ABOUT THE  PARAPPU PAYASAM AND THIS ONE UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE BEST 

As the saying goes “Let’s end it on a sweet note” similarly, when it comes to the sweets of CHETTINAD  first thing that comes to our mind is the PARUPPU PAYASAM  which can be regarded as an empowering SOUTH INDIAN CETTINAD  sweet. This was delectable and was just like the home-made ones. The only element missing was a trickle of fragrant ghee that would have transformed it into one Lip smacking scrumptious dessert.

BREAKING DOWN POINTS

AMBIENCE POSITIVE...

FOOD VARIETY....AMPLE....

TASTE...EXCELLENT....

QUALITY AND QUANTITY ....THE PRESENTATION AND THE QUALTIY OF INGREDIENTS USED WERE SUPERB....ALSO THE QUANITY WAS SCUMPTOUS TO FILL YOUR TUMMIES..

YUMMYYYYYYYYYY AND TUMMYYYYYYYYYYYYY FULL....

A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO EAT, RELAX AND TALK...
UNIQUE FUSION FOR FOOD..
IT IS TOTALLY VALUE FOR MONEY.

PRICE REASONABLE  BUT U WOULDNT REGRET PAYING....UNIQUENESS AND FUSION FOOD IS  CHEF. JAYALAKSHMI MANTRA ...