Celebrate the arrival of spring with Persian delights at the Nowruz Festival, Chennai

This was one epicurean voyage that will remain etched in our foodie minds for a long time. The Nowruz Festival at Hyatt Regency Chennai not only took us on a culinary odyssey of Iranian cuisine but also into the bylanes of the country’s history, courtesy of Home Chef Nasrin Karimi, who regaled us with fascinating anecdotes from her life in the Middle East and her journey to India.

The chef, who has made India her home, explained how Nowruz, which translates to New Day, celebrates the arrival of spring in Persian culture. This thoughtfully curated food festival, designed with a focus on healthy dishes, brought the essence of generations-old traditions to the table, which includes aromatic stews, fragrant rice, and delicately spiced delicacies.

The sun was shining in all its fiery glory on that day, and what could be better than a refreshing Guava slush to calm us down? A cool blend of ripe guava and crushed ice, each sip bursting with vibrant flavours was the perfect antidote to the heat.

As we delved deeper into Persian cuisine, Chef Nasrin shared, “Persian cuisine predominantly uses turmeric, saffron, and pepper.” Meanwhile, we savoured the delicious Persian chicken joje kabab and Mutton kabab. The mutton kababs, made from minced meat and grated onions, were tender and flavourful—a perfect pairing with pita bread. We were also served hummus and pita bread along with Maasto bademjan, an eggplant dip that turned out to be a delightful appetiser.

“Eggplant is a vital part of Iranian cuisine,” Nasrin explained, shedding light on the versatility of the humble vegetable. One of our favourite dishes was the mutton koobideh-kabab, or slammed mutton. This kabab was firm yet juicy, and despite being quite filling, it never made us feel overly heavy. The balance of flavours was spot on. “That’s because instead of oil, we use vinegar in our food,” she added. We also got to try the classic Persian dish, Chicken zereshk polo, which consists of saffron-roasted chicken served with steamed rice and sweetened barberries. The tangy-sweet barberries paired perfectly with the savoury chicken. Chef Nasrin also highlighted the role of herbs in Persian cuisine, with the meat often being cooked with aromatic herbs to enhance the flavour.

The meal came to a sweet conclusion with Tarhalva, a traditional Persian dessert from the city of Shiraz. This visually stunning treat, with its white and yellow hues, was as delightful to the eyes as it was to the taste buds. Made with rice flour, milk, rose water, saffron, and cardamom, it was the perfect end to an unforgettable culinary adventure.

Meal for one: `2,199++

On March 21

7 pm to 11 pm. At Spice Haat,

Hyatt Regency Chennai, Teynampet.

sangeetha.p@newindianexpress.com

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