Pongal special: Our picks of the best lunches in Chennai to celebrate the first harvest of 2020

You might want to skip breakfast for this!
Pongal special: Our picks of the best lunches in Chennai to celebrate the first harvest of 2020

New Year feasting has come and gone, but we hope you’ve saved an appetite for this rejoicing. We mined restaurants and five-star hotels around the city for their best Pongal offerings — think akkaravadisal, pongal variations aplenty and sugarcane ice cream.
 

Kozhumbu calling
Drumstick rasam, yam fry and sunda kai vatha kozhumbu await, among a spree of other traditional dishes as part of the Poorna Bhakshana (seven-course meal) at Paati Veedu. Look out for different lunch menus every day from January 14 to 17, with desserts like akkaravadisal and sakkarai pongal. INR 1,170 all-inclusive. 

Moves like jaggery
Look forward to kadamba sambar, ellu vellam (a sweet mixture of roasted groundnuts, sesame seeds,  fried gram jaggery and dried coconut), as well as red pumpkin curry, as part of this Pongal Virundhu. At Prems Graama Bhojanam. January 15. For lunch only. INR 230 per person. 

Tanjore trippin’
If you don’t want to stick to vegetarian this Pongal, relish this elaborate line-up of over 28 items from Tanjore. It includes mutton kheema fry, mutton kola urandai, nethili fry and karandi omelette. At Thambi Vilas. On till January 16. INR 999 per person. For lunch only. Chakkara pongal can be ordered separately, available through the day, 7 am onwards.

Vadai wow
Sample this delectable spread with favourites like Chettinadu kalkandu vadai, akkaravadisal and more. At Dakshin, Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park. Lunch and dinner. INR 2,000 plus taxes per person.

Millets in the mix
Swap out rice with a healthier carb at this harvest-inspired millet festival. Expect millet risotto and pearl millet biryani, among other delectable surprises. At The Dining Room, Park Hyatt. 

Oh kai, dokey
Savour traditional Palagaram Adhirasam, Kai muruku, Akkaravadisal (Iyengar pongal) and Kollu rasam (horse gram lentil soup) as part of a Pongal special thali. For lunch at Southern Spice, Taj Coromandel. On January 15. INR 2,300 (veg) and INR 2,600 (non-veg).

Harvest brunchin’
Enjoy the Grand Harvest Brunch with delicacies like Kavuni Arisi  and Kozhi Kari Pongal. At Madras Pavilion, ITC Grand Chola. INR 2,750 (inclusive taxes with soft beverage per person) and INR 3,250 (inclusive taxes with premium beverage per person).

Manga & inji
This delicious spread has close to 20 dishes including Karamani keerthandu kozhambu, Manga inji thayir saadam and Parrupu payasam. At Six ’O’ One, The Park Chennai. On January 15. For lunch only. INR 999 per person.

Rava & banana
Feast on six different types of pongal such as Sakkarai pongal, Kal kandu pongal, Melaghu pongal, Millet pongal, Rava pongal, Vazhaipazham fruit pongal, Pachai payaru pongal and one with a twist — Chocolate Pongal Teppanyaki! Available as part of the special Pongal lunch. At Spice Haat, Hyatt Regency Chennai. On January 15. Time: 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm. INR 1,450 plus taxes per person.

Sugarcane ice cream?
Start with a glass of Karumbu Saaru, move on to kambu dosa and Ezhukari Kari Kootu, and end with sugarcane ice cream as part of a host of traditional signatures on this thali. At Madras, The Raintree, Anna Salai. January 15 to 18. INR 950 plus taxes. 

sonali@newindianexpress.com | @brightasunshine

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