Chulha

Critic´s Review

• Food: 4 / 5
• Service: 3.5 / 5
• Decor: 4 / 5

-By Odette Mascarenhas

Home is where the hearth is and the essence of the kitchen reign in every Indian home. And at the heart of every local Indian home in the days gone by was the ‘chulha.’ Situated in a very scenic place overlooking the river through awesome mango trees, perhaps a few decades old the restaurant is very apt for the informal local Indian ’home style’ restaurant at the Grand Hyatt. This concept of this Chulha has been regained from the ‘kitchen of the palace’, based on the fact that the cuisine at that time was developed by families visiting the palace from all over India. The food served in smaller portions encourages you to order for more variety and share them across the table in traditional family style. Tamatar aur Shingada ki Chaat, Khasta Raj Kachori and Dahi Batata Puri.. The Tamatar aur Shingada is unique and a definite recommendation. Now once the preliminaries are over, start the feast. The chef’s have harvested the local trees surrounding the restaurant. This year itself 800 mangoes were collected and used...in pickles and in their preparations. The pickles and chutneys...raving moments, Corn ki Chutney, Kajur Chutney, Mango Pickle, they have a designated chef for it. The Paneer Tikki tossed with coriander seeds and turmeric is so soft that it literally melts in your mouth. The Makai ki Tikki, the flavour of spiced cottage cheese, corn delicately tossed in coriander seeds, when dipped in apricot chutney is a pleasurable exercise. For main course choose the Masala Pomfret or the Murgh Tariwala and Mutton Seekh Kebab. The Indian breads, especially the Roomali Roti are prepared the way you might have it at home, straight from the chulha onto the table. Simple dishes but cooked with tender loving care as the kitchen staff embraces the spirit of ‘home is where the ‘hearth’ is.