The term ‘Pangat’ means having lunch/dinner seated on the
floor mat and food being served in a specific sequential
order in a thali or a
banana leaf. These kind of Pangats, were very regular in the good old days and had their own
charm. They are now taken over by
table seating arrangement or buffet. However, you can now experience and get the
feel of Pangat at Mirador, House of Asia
during their Maharastrian Food Festival which is
till 16th April 2015.
I was invited to preview this exquisite style of dining at Mirador. As soon as I
entered, I noticed the neatly laid ‘chowrangs’ (raised short table) decorated
with beautiful traditional rangoli. I was excited to see this setup, as it has sadly become a dying tradition for having meals. Infact
we were thrilled to learn from the management of Pangat about the concept of waiters
serving in traditional attire and the Marathi folk song/ Marathi Bhaav Geet
being played in the background added more to the ambiance further alleviating
our spirits.
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| Pangat seating arrangment |
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| Kairi Paan and Sol Kadhi |
This was followed by two type of Saar – Khekdyaache Saar (Crab Soup) and Tamate Che Saar
(Tomato Soup). Surprisingly Tamate Che
Saar was the one which impressed our palate in
comparison to Crab soup.
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| Khekdyaache Saar |
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| Tamate Che Saar |
The starters soon arrived with a spread of veg and non veg delicacies. In veg starter there was Kelfulache Vade
(Banana flower patty) which had a slightly bitter aftertaste – the chef
informed us that this is how it is suppose to
be and hence is served with khatti-meethi sont Chutney.
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| Kelfulache Vade |
Dalimb Batate (Tangy
potato patty with pomegranate seed) which
had a slight tangy flavour that actually tingled
the tip of our tongues.
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| Dalimb Batate |
Kothimir
Vadi (steamed coriander cake) a typical Maharashtrian
snack which had a nice soft texture.
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| Kothimir Vadi |
Then, for non veg starters we had Jeera Meerichi Kombdi, (Chicken in jeera and
black pepper),
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| Jeera Meerichi Kombdi |
Makli Masala (squid masala) and last but not the least,
The dish that stole the show was Tawa che Bombil fry (Tawa
fry Bombay Duck), which was something to die
for. It was nice and crisp from outside, soft & perfectly cooked from
inside. It had the right amount of spice that made us
call for more. The soft flesh
just melted in the mouth … A must try.
All the starters
were served with varieties of chutneys like garlic-tomato, raw mango, black
sesame (til), coriander-mint and sweet-sour sont chutney, which acted as an appetizer to awaken our taste buds.
Finally it was the time we all were waiting for ‘The Main
Course’. The Thali was something one
should not miss out on. It was nothing short of a culinary tour of Maharashtra. So, lets take a quick ride of
the tantalizing Maharashtrian carte du
jour
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| Makli Masala |
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| Tawa che Bombil Fry |
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| Chutneys Clockwise Top Left: Garlic-Tomato, Black Sesame, Raw Mango, Coriander-Mint Center: Sweet & Sour Sont Chutney |
(From Left to Right)
1) Kombdi
che Sukka (Dry Chicken) which was creamy, flavorful and mild spicy,
2) Kairi
chi Kadi (Raw Mango Curry) – Typical Coastal style. This has perfect blend of
sweetness of coconut, sourness of raw mango and just a hint of pungency of
chilies. This was yum, and I could actually have a whole bowl.
3) Masala
Bhaat (Rice) from Vidarbha
4) Aamti, a typical lentil commonly prepared in every Maharastrian household. This had perfect blend of spice that will make any Maharastrian feel at
home.
5) Bharli
Vangi (Stuffed Brinjal), this was stuffed and then cooked in gram flour gravy.
6) A
Bowl of Curd.
7) Mixed
Ussal, a well known Kolhapuri dish.
8) Kolhapuri
Mutton Pandhra Rassa, this was mildly spicy and
the mutton was tender and perfectly cooked.
9) Tandalaa chi Bhakri (Rice Roti/Flat Bread) to
go with all these gravies and curries.
As the saying goes “Let’s
end it on a sweet
note” similarly, when it comes to the sweets of
Maharashtra, first thing that comes to our mind is the Puran Poli, which can be
regarded as an empowering Maharashtrian sweet. This was delectable and
was just like the
home-made ones. The
only element missing was a trickle of fragrant ghee that would have transformed
it into one Lip smacking scrumptious dessert.
The other sweet item was the Olya
Naral Chi Karanji which I felt was more like the UP style Gujiya.
Unfortunately, we all were too stuffed with starters and
hence couldn't do complete justice to
the main course. My advice would be to go easy on the appetizers/starters enabling
one to enjoy the true essence of Maharashtrian Main Course, which in
literal sense is the ‘Life’ of the entire Pangat at Mirador.
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| Thali |
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| Puran Poli |
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| Olya Naral Chi Karanji |
Where: House of Asia, Hotel Mirador, New Link Road, Chakala, Andheri (East), Mumbai
Duration : 10th – 16th April 2015
Timing: 7:30 p.m onwards
Price: INR 900/- (inclusive all taxes)
Contact: 022 6649 5000
