Seafood worth dipping into

Of the many things peculiar to Bangalore, the innumerable eateries dotting the city's gallis and nukkads is one. while most of these joints (some even mobile!) have cropped up to meet The gastronomic needs of the Bangalorean with mostly generic food, there still exist restaurants dedicated to serving up the very best to the discerning diner in a matching ambience. One such place is the Karavali at Gateway Hotel on Residency road.

Karavali (meaning `of The coast') specialises in coastal food. As Mr S. Srinarayan, assistant food & beverage manager, hastens to correct, Karavali specialises in the cuisines of India's west coast and not just Keralite or Mangalorean food. So what one eventually ends up with is a menu listing about 65 items from Goan, Mangalorean, Karwar and Keralite cuisines. Explaining about The criteria for choosing items in The menu, Chef Thimmaiah explains, "while presenting an authentic glimpse of The west coast cuisines was our primary concern, we also had to take into consideration the popularity of certain dishes and the availability of ingredients."

At Karavali, one can discover the Epicurean delight of the west coast in a charming ambience. while The courtyard of the restaurant is Thatch-roofed and overlooks the outdoor bar area and landscaped garden surrounding the restaurant, the air-conditioned dining hall is done up to resemble the dining room of a traditional Mangalorean home with its wooden roof and floor, antique mirrors and the huge grandfather clock. The attention paid to details is evident in ikkat table linen, jute table mats, coconut shell-shaped ash-trays and the copper-clad steel serving vessels. Even the waiters are ethnically clad. Authenticity seems the watchword at Karavali, not only in terms of decor but also the dishes.

Most of the recipes have been picked up from traditional family kitchens in places like Panjim, Karwar, Kottayam, Alleppey, etc. The chef not only uses local spices and ingredients like toddy vinegar from Goa, Coondapur coconuts, fresh fish, meat and vegetables of the coast but also employs traditional methods of cooking. For instance, the masala used in Kori Gassi - Mangalorean chicken curry, is gradually ground to a fine paste in a mechanised stone grinder for about four hours and some of the Keralite payasams are made in the traditional vessel Urli. Chef Thimmaiah says, "The flavour of the dish can be captured only by using authentic methods of cooking and never by last minute tossing in and cooking."

At Karavali, one can sample both the white stew (meat & vegetable) and brown stew (chicken) as well as a remarkable variety of seafood specialities. Karavali is just about the only place in Bangalore where one can get seafood like prawns, lobster, oysters, mussels, shrimps, crabs and squids prepared in Indian style. And, of course, a considerable variety of fish dishes are also served. To go with these tasty dishes, traditional rice and wheat preparations such as appam, idiappam, neer dosa, malabar parata are available along with steamed red and white rice.

Karavali turns six years old next month and its popularity is clearly evident in the number of people who keep coming back. This restaurant certainly seems set to win over many more Bangaloreans with its delicious offers in the years to come.

Courtesy The Times of India, June22

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