It's the festival season! And every celebration calls for special food.
To enjoy the festive dishes of Ugadi, we tried the Ugadi Sadhya at Kamats Legacy in Nariman Point. Served on a banana leaf, the menu offered 15+ authentic delicacies reflecting the culinary traditions of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
From bittergourd fries to sweet pongal and the comforting buttermilk, the Ugadi Sandhya presented every taste and flavour.
The restaurant staff served one dish after another, beginning with salt and the homemade mango pickle. The banana leaf gradually got filled with Kakarakaya Fry, Amla Podi, Banagaladumpa Fry, white rice and bowls of Tomato Rasam, Sambar, and Takkali Pappu. Three deserts were added soon–sweet pongal, broken wheat payasam, and Bobbattu (Puran Poli).
With so many dishes on the leaf, we started with Chitraannam. Notably, people prepare several varieties of Chitraannam, but the one in the festive menu here was lemon rice. It carried a fresh yellow colour and a tadka of Chana dal and mustard. It was more of a ‘sattvik’ food with low spice and subtle notes of lemon.
Wanting to enjoy the white rice at its best, we asked for some ghee to be poured on it. The staff also sprinkled ‘gunpowder’ on the rice before we ate it with Takkali Pappu (Dal). Wow, what a delicacy! In simple words, it felt like ‘Ghar ka khana’.
We also tasted their Sambar with rice, and we must say we loved it. The Sambar transported us to the Southern states of India for its authentic taste. Unlike the Udupi-style Sambars, this recipe wasn’t on the sweeter side. It had a balanced taste; thanks to the magic of whole garam masala. Notably, Sambar was cooked without onion and garlic.
Instead of combining Rasam with rice, we decided to sip this ‘desi soup’ and we didn’t regret it. Dominated with the rich and pleasant aroma of asafoetida, the Rasam hit us with its strong spicy flavour first, followed by the tanginess of tomatoes.
Next, we tried the accompanies served on our banana leaf.
Karela fry won our hearts for its perfect texture and crispiness. It was touched with jaggery, tamarind, and roasted peanuts, further elevating its taste and pulling down the key ingredient’s bitterness level. Cuisine Chef Muthamil Pandi told us medium age bittergourds were used to ensure the dish was balanced in its flavour and was enjoyed by people.
The typical Andhra-style potato fry, referred to as the Banagaladumpa Fry, was nothing but a simple aloo sabji tossed with masalas and curry leaves.
After trying these dishes, we looked for the actual highlight of the Ugadi menu–Neem and Mango Pachadi. While we expected it to be served in a glass or a bowl because of its liquid consistency, the Pachadi, here, turned out to be a paste. We were a little disappointed with its presentation in the paste form, but the taste did somewhat redeem the dish.
We ended it on a sweeter note by treating ourselves with the deserts. Of the three offerings in this category, the Ghodhi Payasam (Broken wheat payasam) was an absolute delight with subtle notes of coconut milk and chunks of coconut.
Before we bid adieu, we folded the banana leaf inwards as a gesture of appreciation.
