Leela chefs enchant with 'Make in South India' menu

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hummed along with his ‘Make in India’ tune, chefs at The Leela Palace Bengaluru carefully wove together a lavish banquet that resonated the myriad tingling flavours of India’s South.

It was about a month ago that the kitchen at the Leela got aware of the impending responsibility of the mammoth Nasscom event that played host to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Modi on Tuesday, which also brought together high-profile delegations from the Indian and German sides.

“As part of our brief, we were told to present the honoured (German) guests with a feel of India. Our team put together around six menus with different cuisines, which was sent to the PMO for selection. Around a week ago, we received the order that a South Indian menu was selected,” The Leela Palace Bengaluru Executive Sous Chef Zafar Ali told Deccan Herald.

“We wanted the guests to sample an eclectic menu that drew from all the states of South India. The idea was to get them to experience the varied textures, spices, techniques and moods of South Indian cooking,” Ali said.

The four-course menu was indeed fit for a king. Guests were warmly greeted with a welcome drink called sambharam, and kukku rasayana, a traditional cooler.

“Just to make them to savour the sublime tastes of the region, we offered a South Indian sampler (platter) which had appetisers like rasam, podi idly, vazhapoo vada, baby corn bezule, kuzhi paniyaram and murungaelai adai,” the chef said.

The spread, which was a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare, had something to offer for everyone. While Modi is a vegetarian, the chefs also kept in mind the more intricate requirements of other guests, offering sugar-free and nut-free items, as well.
  
In the last few weeks, the kitchen has worked round the clock to get the menu in order. “We had to test and taste everything we made, over and over again, to get every minute detail perfect. Our team of 30 chefs worked carefully on each recipe that was to be offered to the high-profile guests,” Ali said.

Even the ingredients for the cooking was sourced from their most exotic locations. For instance, red rice and nendran banana came from Kerala, and a few spices were sourced from Karaikudi in Tamil nadu.

“Our emphasis was on raw produce, keeping flavours as authentic as possible. The last three days have been exhilarating, when the spread actually begun to take shape,” he said.

The chefs, along with 30 service staff, got to pose with Modi and Merkel for a picture, and Ali said that the entire team was elated when the prime minister appreciated the cullinary effort, mentioning, “Khana Swaadisth Tha” (the food was tasty).