So, we’ve been getting it wrong all these days. “In the Yogic tradition, it is said that you must chew a morsel of food 24 times as the food gets pre-digested in your mouth and will not cause dullness in your system,” reads a clean white slate hung on the wall of Mahamudra, Isha Life’s fine-dining restaurant that serves wholesome vegetarian food. It is a serene green space in Jubilee Hills that houses an ethnic craft store, a Yoga Studio and the restaurant, which resonates with the teachings and philosophy of Indian yogi and mystic Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Considering he has thousands of followers in the city, it was natural for his non-profit organisation Isha Foundation to open its doors in the city last month. Mahamudra is already a decade old in Chennai’s Mylapore and that explains why the menu card has entries in Tamil (which I am told will soon be updated to English).
Meena Thennaappan, R & D head of the restaurant, says, “Our food is sathvik and is rich in nature’s bounty.” We soon sip on the welcome drink. With a touch of turmeric, sabza (basil) seeds and a dash of lemon, it was sweet and cooling, instantly introducing me to the idea of Isha Life – simple and profound. Although the basket full of crunchies made me feel at home, the thali placed before me looked truly daunting with over a dozen cups with various dishes in a multitude of colours.
The Indian touch
The 60-seater restaurant has a rustic feel. With wooden tables, cutlery and glasses that have Isha Life engraved on it, the place spelt the word ethnic India loud and clear. As we waited for our dishes to arrive, we noticed the hotel staff fetch a puja thali and perform an aarti (instead of blowing off candles) for a young girl who was celebrating her birthday. The Drumstick Soup served to us was simple, but may taste too bland for those of us who binge on spicy food. I would rather stick to my cream of tomato soup any day. The thali, served in a giant steel plate was replete with three salads – fruit-based, vegetable-based (a medley of veggies with soy-peanut dressing) and lentil-based (boiled, salted with coconut garnish). The main course had Rotis and other snacks such as Vada. It wasn’t until restaurant manager Pronal told me that I realised that the Bisibelebath and Curd bath, non-spicy yet tasty, was made of broken wheat, and not rice. “India is turning into a diabetic capital and keeping in mind the changing health priorities, we have incorporated the wheat thali,” informs Meena. Mahamudra in Chennai has been recognised as the ‘Finest Restaurant in Asia by the Miele Guide, Singapore for year 2011 – 2012 and it isn’t surprising why.
The salads tasted fresh and crunchy with mild spices. “We specialise in ancestral food in all its glory fresh ingredients, medium spices and low in oil,” Meena adds. However, you will notice that spices are sparingly used, so are oils and salts. My favourites, however, were the akki (rice), godhi (wheat) and ragi rotti that came as palm-sized fried snacks. They were authentic Karnataka dishes and tasted that way.
Kaapi anyone?
Although I’m not a big fan of desserts, the Wild Rice Payasam, with a purple tinge, definitely pulled me towards it. Mildly sweet with rice kernels in between, it tasted divine. I try not to groan when I realised that at the other end of the lovely meal is a long day’s work. Almost reading my thoughts, Meena brought a Sukku Kaapi (a herbal decoction made of dry ginger and coriander seeds) for me that helps aid digestion and stop bloating. It was almost an offset to the good aftertaste the thali left, but when the staff told me that the profits from the restaurant go for Isha Foundation’s outreach programme, I developed an appetite for it.
Meal for two: Rs.2,000.
Pics: Vinay Madapu