Dakshin’s new menu shines a light on the lesser known classics of South India

The spread is a mix of exquisite dishes that include traditional home made ice cream, ripe pineapple curry and more
Dakshin’s new menu shines a light on the lesser known classics of South India

The fragrance of freshly strung jasmine flowers (the gundu malli variety, we are informed) wafts through the doors as we enter Dakshin, the renowned South Indian restaurant at ITC Windsor, to sample their new menu. As we pick a string of the flowers, which the restaurant is known to offer all its customers, we are also served the Muneer, to get us off to a refreshing start. Made with tender coconut, khus syrup, honey and jaggery, this drink is part of the old menu, but is just what we needed after a long drive. 

In addition to changing about 60 per cent of the menu, they have also introduced the concept of chef-curated meals, which will change about twice a week. “We had set meals before but this format ensures there’s no monotony. So guests have something new to look forward to every time they pay us a visit,” says Chef George Jayasurya. The new menu also has indicators that let you know if a fish is rare or easily available, to enable diners to make more environmentally conscious decisions.

Going bananas
We first sample the Vazhai Shunti, a traditional dish from Thanjavur, to start off our chef-curated thali-style meal. Raw banana is boiled, coarsely mashed and mixed with crushed cashew, fried channa, garam masala and chopped onions and green chilli, formed into little balls, and deep fried to crisp, golden perfection. 

The Veinchina Mamsam, a dry mutton starter, from Andhra is served next. The meat is first cooked and then dry-roasted with onions and chillies to create this Andhra favourite. From our curated meal, we love the Keerai Kootu, a blend of two varieties of locally-sourced greens, with Salem gundu chilli, a variety of red chilli. Another favourite is the Ananas Mensinkai which we could not get enough of. The Mangalorean treat is a curry that brings together ripe pineapples, jaggery, chilli powder and red chilli. Tamil Nadu’s Nathako-dayoor Yerakozhambhu is up next and we pair it with fluffy warm parathas. The prawns are succulent and the curry is an aromatic concoction made with dry coconut, poppy seed, garlic, jeera and black pepper. 

Cool off
After the heavy meal, we cool down with the Kadal Patchi, a dessert from Keelakarai, a town in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. Pistachio, cardamom, saffron, khoya and frozen milk are blended together and frozen to create this treat, which is perfect on a warm day. Another must-have is the Aadi Kumma-yam, a sort of pudding that involves roasting and powdering rice and urad dal, and cooking it with ghee and sugar.

Featuring dishes that are not well known but exquisite and delicious, this menu reflects the culinary heritage of the South. 

Rs.4,000++ for two. At Golf Course Road
 

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