There's a new food festival in Chennai that celebrates the flavours of Andhra

Ask anyone in the south about Andhra food, and their response will often be that it is predominantly spicy. But that could not be far from the truth, as Andhra food, like food from any other region, is full of diverse flavours.

To let people know about the varying tastes of the region, Chef Murthi joined hands with Chef Chandra Sekhar Raju, and together they have come up with a food festival named Godavari Ruchulu, which, as its name suggests, celebrates the little-known cuisine of the Godavari region.

Chef Raju revealed to Indulge that he has involved his mother, Anasuya Devi, in the whole process and has curated a menu that celebrates age-old traditional recipes.

Take the Chapala Fry on offer at the food festival, for example. The fish is fried in oil, and the curry paste is applied later, a completely opposite way of frying fish. What this meant was that the outer skin became really crispy, and impressively, the curry paste did not seem like an afterthought and gelled well with the fish.

The Peethala Iguru, featuring mud crab, was done in a traditional way, but the chefs had ensured that all the flavours of the curry in which the crab was cooked had gone into the meat. We particularly need to mention that the Guntur chilli used in the curry gave it an exquisite taste while not being overly spicy. We could not help but go for a second serving of the crab curry, which is best had with plain rice.

There was another dish on the menu that really stood out, and it was the Mamsam Koora. The mutton-based curry was simply delicious, and the meat and the bone separated at the touch of our fingers. This curry went well with the Kodi Palava, a chicken-based pulao that was mild yet rich. The chicken, though, was a bit overcooked.

There are vegetarian options as well, like Bendakaya Vepudu and Chikkudukaya Tomato Curry, among others, which were good in their own right. However, they were rather overshadowed by the number of tasty pachadis/pickles on offer. We tried the Gongura Pachadi, Sorakaya Pachadi, Kobbarikaya Pachadi, and Avakai Pachadi and were once again reminded that one cannot claim to have really eaten the food from Andhra Pradesh without trying the pickles.

Of course, there were some sweets on offer as well. Our favourite was the Pootharekulu, which was filled with jaggery and nuts for a change. The Kaja and Semiya Payasam on offer were a bit too sweet to our liking. And before you begin the meal, do ask for the Panakam with ginger; it is definitely worth a try.

₹1,599++ per person. On till March 20. Lunch and dinner. At  Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort & Convention Center.