There is a chilled bowl of kheer in front of us. And we have been roped into a guessing game about its star ingredient. We’re at a degustation tasting of The Leela Palace Chennai’s revamped wellness menu, Aujasya 2.0 at its restaurant, Spectra. Let’s see if you can fair better than we did. Here are the clues: no gluten, it’s good for you and most likely, you have one of these in your fridge. Sous chef Anjan Goud looks at us expectantly, his face lit up with glee. Millets? Nope. Oats? Try again. Some type of squash? We already know from the hearty ‘bite’ in each spoonful, that we are nowhere close.
Kheer for more?
“Cauliflower!” he shares finally. The light comes on as we dip into another chilled sumptuous spoonful. Associations are a tricky thing, aren’t they? Cauliflower rice has been trending for years and yet we associate it with a savoury dish. Hero ingredients — that you might or might not expect — are at the heart of this menu, we quickly discover over the course of plenty of goodness and a few plot twists, over lunch. Green hummus? Edamame. Pink risotto? This one is an easy guess, with a little luck, you could ‘beet’ us to it. The latter, a ‘barley and beetroot’ symphony in pink, packs in all kinds of goodness with an earthy nuttiness from the barley and quinoa, a tangy touch from crumbled feta and a hint of crunch from the garnish of sunflower seeds.
Kale me maybe
For those who are hearing about the Aujasya (vigour of life in Sankrit) initiative by The Leela, for the first time, it was launched last year across the group’s 12 hotels. And in 2023, chef Anshuman shares, “The focus will now expand beyond food and move into wellness experiences such as yoga, sound healing and meditation.” We listen as a glorious green soup prepped with kale and broccoli and then blitzed with a rich coconut milk is poured over a single nugget of silken tofu. Are you green with envy? Don’t be. As chef Anshuman quips, “This is not a diet menu, but a feel good one.” Also, look out for Aujasya Junior which is a specially curated menu for kids, expected to launch in April.
Meal for two at INR 3,500++